📰 Does the Caesar Act Stand as the Sole Barrier to Syria’s Reconstruction?

As syrians mark the first anniversary of their liberation and the fall of the former regime, significant developments are unfolding in Washington regarding an imminent vote in the United States Congress to repeal the Caesar Act. Mohammad Alaa Ghanem, Director of Political Affairs at the syrian/" class="auto-internal-link">syrian American Council, has disclosed advanced efforts within Congress to include a provision repealing the Caesar Act in the defence appropriations bill. as per Ghanem, the vote is scheduled for Wednesday, 10 December. In parallel, Wall Street Journal correspondent Jared Malsin verified on the platform X that the US Congress has “just approved” the lifting of sanctions imposed under the Caesar Act, adding that the final text, incorporated into amendments to the national Defense Authorization Act, would be published later that evening.

Despite the significance of this development, the diplomatic efforts that brought it about, and the accompanying backing from Arab and regional allies, such declarations prompt a fundamental question: Will the anticipated repeal of the Caesar Act be sufficient to set syria/" class="auto-internal-link">syria’s reconstruction in motion, or do obstacles remain that go beyond American sanctions? Crumbling Institutions The Syrian state’s institutional structure represents one of the most daunting challenges facing the emerging administration in the post-liberation era. Fourteen years of crisis saw the nation’s resources diverted almost entirely to sustain the former regime’s armed forces machine, leaving civilian sectors deprived of basic development.

Coupled with European and American sanctions that inhibited institutional adaptation to global progress, this has resulted in a debilitated administrative framework now burdening prospects for reconstruction. A World Bank report issued last October estimates Syria’s reconstruction cost at $216 billion, with $141 billion required to rehabilitate administration institutions and public infrastructure, including roads, electricity, water, and administrative networks. Indeed, economist Younis al-Karim attributes the roots of this institutional decline to the previous regime but notes that the current administration has yet to launch a concrete programme for institutional reform.

He informed Syria Television that recruitment processes remain weak due to the departure of numerous civil servants, further weakening the state’s ability to coordinate reconstruction efforts. This analysis aligns with comments made by Syrian Finance Minister Mohammed Yisr Barnieh following former US leader Donald Trump’s announcement in Riyadh of his intention to lift sanctions on Syria. Barnieh stated that the government is pursuing “comprehensive reform of public financial management, encompassing the tax system, customs, and the banking sector” as part of wider efforts to modernise…