Discussions focused on granting import licenses and providing facilitations to ensure the availability of goods and citizens’ needs in local markets, as well as production requirements for industrial facilities.

Al-Jazaeri said that the prospects for the recovery of national economy are better in 2015, with potential for expanding local production, noting that the gap between imports and exports will remain until production improves and its revenue is increased, adding that supporting production is necessary to compensate for the growing costs of energy and transport.

He called on chambers of commerce to cooperate with the government to set clear procedures for imports that reduce the import of goods that have locally-produced alternatives.

In turn, head of the Damascus Chamber of Commerce Ghassan al-Qala’a said that the Ministry’s policies must be clear and have no ambiguity or exceptions when it comes to granting import license, and that the Central Bank’s policy for funding imports must also be clear.