President Al-Sharaa just signed a decree increasing public sector salaries by 200%.

Various official estimates suggest Syria’s public sector employs 1.25 to 1.45 million people. Based on government spending data, the announced hike would cost around $63.5 million per month.

To put that into perspective, the three-month Qatari government’s grant of $29 million per month — announced earlier this year — would barely cover half of the needed amount, renewing concerns about deficit spending.

This opaqueness in fiscal spending is reflective of the fact that the country continues to operate without an approved budget.