Changes in Ports, Customs cause worrying thoughts to be formed by experienced employees

The General Authority for Border Crossings and Customs in Syria is undergoing a broad restructuring process affecting employees at border crossings, ports, and the Customs Directorate. Employees have complained about being placed on paid leave, transferred to other governorates, and the dismissal of a number of staff members. Meanwhile, the government says the new authority aims to "unify the administration of border crossings and enhance the efficiency of customs operations."

According to sources who spoke exclusively to ANHA agency, hundreds of employees working at ports and border crossings have been granted paid leave, while decisions have been issued transferring employees from customs administrations, ports, or their current duty stations to other locations, some of them outside the governorates where they were originally appointed. They have also been required to sign documents accepting assignment to any location designated by the administration.

The General Authority for Border Crossings and Customs has not yet released any official figures indicating the number of employees affected by transfer decisions, paid leave, or contract terminations.

The sources added that some employees received transfer decisions to governorates in eastern and southern Syria via WhatsApp messages. Permanent employees were given the option of transferring to other government institutions, while dismissal measures affected a number of employees who had been appointed under contracts through the central recruitment competition.

An economist, who requested anonymity, said these measures come as part of the restructuring of the authority following its establishment under Decree No. (244) of 2025, which transferred responsibility for managing border crossings and customs to an independent authority with legal personality as well as financial and administrative independence. The authority reports directly to the Prime Minister's Office and is headed by an official with ministerial rank.

The economist added that, in his assessment, the new administration is moving toward replacing a significant portion of the previous administrative staff with new personnel.

He noted that the decree granted the authority broad powers, including oversight of the administration of land and sea border crossings, the General Customs Directorate, the General Directorate of Ports, the General Establishment for Free Zones, the companies managing the ports of Latakia and Tartus, the General Establishment for Maritime Transport, the Maritime Training and Qualification Institute, the Maritime Agencies Company, and maritime secondary schools, within the framework of unifying the administrative and technical authority over border crossings and related activities.

According to the economist, one of the most controversial provisions is the establishment of an "Inspection Directorate" reporting directly to the President of the Authority. He argued that this model grants the head of the authority supervisory and oversight powers over the same institution he administers, raising questions about the independence of institutional oversight.

He also pointed out that the decree establishing the authority granted legal validity to all administrative, organizational, and financial procedures and decisions taken at land and sea border crossings, customs offices, ports, and free zones from the period following the fall of the former regime until the decree entered into force, recognizing them as legally effective.

The economist stated that concentrating the management of this vital sector within a single authority directly linked to the Prime Minister's Office gives it extensive influence over the country's key economic sectors related to foreign trade and import and export activities. He called for adopting standards based on competence, experience, and diversity in appointing leadership positions within the authority and its affiliated institutions, rather than limiting them to a single group.

The Head of Syria's Interim Government, Ahmed al-Sharaa, issued Decree No. (244) of 2025 establishing the General Authority for Border Crossings and Customs, granting it legal personality and financial and administrative independence, and linking it directly to the Presidency of the Republic. The authority is tasked with unifying the administration of border crossings, customs, free zones, and ports, with the stated objective of developing logistics services, simplifying customs procedures, and improving revenue collection efficiency in accordance with international standards.

An "Inspection Directorate" was subsequently established as an oversight body reporting directly to the President of the Authority as part of the new organizational structure.

ANHA