Three Decrees Establish Mining, Electricity, and Water Entities

Syrian transitional President Ahmed al-Sharaa issued three decrees on Monday, April 6, to establish:

• The Syrian Mining Company, replacing the General Company for Phosphates and Mines.
• The Syrian Electricity Company, replacing the General Establishment for Generation and the General Establishment for the Transmission and Distribution of Electricity, along with their affiliated companies.
• The General Establishment for Drinking Water and Sanitation, with a public drinking water and sanitation company to be created in each governorate under it.

Public entities operating on an economic basis

According to the three decrees published by the Ministry of Energy on its Telegram channel, the Syrian Mining Company (SMC) is a wholly state-owned public holding company operating on an economic basis. It has legal personality and financial and administrative independence, is linked to the Minister of Energy, and is headquartered in Damascus.

Likewise, the Syrian Electricity Company (SEC) will be a wholly state-owned public holding company operating on an economic basis. It will have legal personality and financial and administrative independence, report to the Minister of Energy, and be based in Damascus.

The General Establishment for Drinking Water and Sanitation will also operate on an economic basis, with legal personality and financial and administrative independence. It will be linked to the Minister of Energy and headquartered in Damascus.

The ministry said the decrees come as part of efforts to:

• Modernize the institutional structure of Syria’s mining and mineral resources sector.
• Enhance the efficiency of managing and operating the electricity sector.
• Improve the efficiency of managing and operating the water and sanitation sector.
• Prepare both sectors to enter a more professional phase, with greater capacity to manage their resources and facilities under modern economic and organizational frameworks.
• Provide basic services to citizens.

Syrian Mining Company to boost returns from mineral resources

The decree establishing the Syrian Mining Company aims to:

• Build a leading national arm in the mining sector and develop a professional investment environment based on efficiency, quality, and integration across the various stages of investment.
• Strengthen good governance, transparency, and accountability, and enhance the sector’s competitiveness at the regional and international levels, in ways that positively reflect on the national economy.
• Maximize returns from mineral resources.
• Expand opportunities for development and investment and create new jobs.

According to the Ministry of Energy, the decree reinforces the state’s direction toward more effective and sustainable management of mineral wealth, transforming the sector into a real economic driver that contributes to recovery and reconstruction, while strengthening national benefit from natural resources in a way that serves the public interest and comprehensive development.

Objectives and tasks of the Syrian Electricity Company

The decree establishing the Syrian Electricity Company aims to:

• Develop a professional investment environment in the electricity sector.
• Promote good governance and transparency, and enhance competitiveness.
• Attract local and international investment that contributes to developing electricity infrastructure, improving service efficiency, and strengthening sustainability.

Under the decree, the company will be responsible for:

• Proposing strategies and plans related to developing and investing the sector’s resources.
• Preparing and signing contracts related to development and marketing activities.
• Contributing to the establishment and management of subsidiary or joint companies.
• Managing and operating assets, facilities, equipment, and infrastructure linked to the electricity sector.
• Developing national capacities and human resources, and adhering to sustainability and green transition policies.

Objectives and tasks of the General Establishment for Drinking Water and Sanitation

Under the decree establishing the General Establishment for Drinking Water and Sanitation, the institution aims to unify the institutional reference, improve performance, and raise the quality of water and sanitation services across Syria.

According to the decree, it will also undertake the following tasks:

• Proposing and implementing national policies and strategies in the fields of drinking water and sanitation.
• Supervising investment and development projects, and monitoring water quality.
• Enhancing management efficiency, governance, oversight, and transparency in this vital sector.

According to the ministry, the three decrees reflect a broader effort to restructure key service sectors and modernize their institutional framework in line with the requirements of the coming phase, while improving the state’s ability to manage services more efficiently and sustainably.

The post Three Decrees Establish Mining, Electricity, and Water Entities appeared first on Enab Baladi.