Eng. Muhammad Ayman al-Moulawi, Chairman of the Damascus and Rural Damascus Chamber of Industry, presided over the meeting held at the Chamber’s headquarters for the Canned Food, Halva, and Legumes Committee. The meeting was attended by Mr. Osama al-Nan, Board Member and Head of the Food Sector; Mr. Raeif al-Sibaie, Board Member; Mr. Samer Shoulah, Chairman of the Committee; and several committee members.
The meeting commenced with an emphasis on the necessity of enhancing cooperation and partnership between the Chamber of Industry and relevant ministries and authorities. This includes reorganizing joint work mechanisms to ensure the involvement of industrialists in the decision-making process and studying problems facing the industrial sector to reach appropriate solutions that strengthen trust between all parties.
The attendees addressed several issues, most notably the problem of Syrian tankers crossing borders with neighboring countries such as Turkey, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. It was emphasized that agreements must be reached to allow Syrian tankers to enter foreign markets directly without the need to replace them with other trucks, ensuring the protection of goods from damage and addressing the regulatory and financial obstacles associated with this procedure. Additionally, the issue of Saudi authorities requiring the use of modern trucks to transport goods as a basic requirement for tankers to enter their territory was raised.
In another context, the attendees raised the issue of "Qamar al-Din" (apricot paste) manufacturing and the necessity of maintaining the purity of this industry by using apricots as a primary ingredient without introducing any other substances, stressing the importance of protecting this ancient Syrian heritage product from distortion.
The discussion also touched upon Decree No. 8, with calls for legal amendments that allow for the imposition of fines or alternative measures instead of the total closure of facilities. Commenting on this issue, Eng. Ayman al-Moulawi indicated that work is currently underway to amend the decree through a committee formed at the Ministry to ensure the rights of industrialists and improve the state of the national industry. He pointed out that the demands regarding the amendment of the decree emphasize the importance of differentiating between minor and serious violations. He also confirmed that the prison sentence stipulated in the decree is currently suspended until the decree is amended. Furthermore, al-Moulawi suggested appointing specialists within factories to monitor compliance with laws and oversee production processes to avoid such problems and violations.
Al-Moulawi added that the Social Insurance Law and the Labor Law are currently being amended in partnership with the formed committees, in an effort to reduce subscription fees and simplify other procedures.
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