Nabil Sukkar

Syria’s ruling Baath Party introduced a meager set of reforms at its June 6-9 congress, dashing hopes that the eagerly-awaited event would launch a more rapid process of economic and political liberalization. Facing unrelenting pressure from the United States and growing regional isolation, the Syrian government is attempting to bolster internal unity by establishing clear red lines for the opposition while loosening slightly its tight grip on Syrian society. But what will that entail for Syria’s struggling economy? Executive spoke to Dr Nabil Sukkar, managing director of the Syrian Consulting Bureau for Development and Investment. Do you consider the speed of economic reform over the past five years as satisfactory? If not why not? What are the major obstacles? The speed of economic reform over the past five years has not been satisfactory even though the pace of reform has accelerated. The reason is that domestic problems are mounting and