Private Companies Evade Taxes

Tax evasion by private companies is common and offenders should be punished, said a July 15 article in the official Al-Thawra newspaper.



The newspaper noted that while the private sector contributed 60 per cent of Syria’s gross domestic product, it paid only seven per cent of the country’s direct tax revenue, based on the state’s 2007 budget figures.



Hussein al-Fahel, head of the economy department at Damascus University, was quoted in the article as saying that the ministry of finance should raise awareness among Syrian businessmen about the importance of paying taxes and enforce the law more effectively.



Fahel criticised tax authorities for sometimes failing to penalise late payers and said this policy encourages people to continue to evade taxes.