Syrian President Bashar Al Assad has awarded state employees a one-time bonus of 85 percent of their monthly salaries on the occasion of his completing one year in power, the official Al Thawra newspaper said Wednesday.
"The bonus is allocated to civil and military workers in public employment as well those who are retired," according to a decree coinciding with the one-year anniversary of Assad's becoming president on June 17, 2000.
Assad succeeded his late father, Syrian strongman Hafez Al Assad, who died in June 2000, as head of state.
The average salary of Syria's 1.7 million government employees does not surpass $100 per month.
In September, government employees received a 25 percent raise and a 20 percent increase in retirement pensions, which were still considered paltry – (AFP)
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
