SYRIA
 
Syrian Parliament Alarmed By Rising Budget Deficit 
 
The size of the Syrian 2013 draft budget deficit has become a cause of concern for some legislators during last week’s budget debate. They argued this deficit, which is to rise from S£216bn ($3.1bn) in 2012 to S£745bn ($10.6bn) in 2013, needs to be addressed with adequate policies and austerity measures (MEES, 2 November). This prompted Finance Minister Muhammad Juleilati to intervene in the...