Starting January 1, Syria will implement a new currency
JAKARTA - Syria will begin exchanging old banknotes for a new national currency that will take effect from January 1. This step will be the beginning of a new economic and monetary phase.
Central Bank Governor Abdel Qader al-Hasriya said a presidential decree allowing the issuance of the new currency had been enacted.
"This is an important national milestone that reflects the beginning of a new economic and monetary phase," he added, launching ANTARA on December 26.
Hasriya said Decree No. 293 of 2025 gives the central bank the authority to set a deadline and location for exchanging old banknotes for new ones, adding that the process will begin on January 1, 2026.
In a separate post, Hasriya said the central bank would hold a special press conference on Sunday to elaborate on the complete details of the exchange process, including time schedules, approved exchange centers, and implementation steps.
He said the conference would allow questions to be answered directly with full transparency and urged the public to follow what he described as an important national event.
In October, Hasriya said the new Syrian currency would be issued in six denominations without images or symbols, according to a statement carried by the Syrian state news agency, SANA.
Syrians still use old paper money, which features images associated with the previous government, including the ousted President Bashar Assad on the 2,000 pound note and his father, Hafez Assad, on the 1,000 pound note.
The Syrian pound has suffered a sharp depreciation, forcing residents to carry a bag of cash to pay for daily expenses.
Since the overthrow of Assad on December 8, 2024, the new Syrian government has launched economic and political reforms aimed at improving conditions in the country.
Assad, Syria's leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia, ending the Ba'ath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963. A new transitional government led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa was formed in January.
Source: Anadolu/ANTARA