Hammud Hussein: We are going tohalt chaotic construction

Born in the vicinity of Hama in 1957, Hammud Hussein studied civil engineering at Aleppo University and graduated in 1980.
 He obtained his graduate degree in 1999 and a master’s in environmental engineering, in 2005.
 Between the years 1988-2005, he served as director of the Waterworks Establishment in Hama, and in 2006, was appointed minister in the cabinet of Prime Minister Mohammad Naji Otri.
 The Minister of Housing and Construction spoke to FW: about the sprouting of real estate agencies in Syria, the closure of many of them because of illegal practices, and the water shortage problem in Damascus.
 Mustapha al-Sayyed It’s Summer, and there is a major crisis in drinking water in Damascus.
 The Ministry of Housing and Construction is in-charge of waterworks in Syria.
 How can this problem be solved—as the hot summer creeps upon Syrians? The rain average dropped this year by more than 200 millimeters, when compared to 2007.
 There is a scarcity indeed in water resources but we have not reached the crisis stage.
 How come? We set up an entire system through which we can control drinking water resources in Damascus and its vicinity.
 We are constantly injecting the waters of the River Barada and Ain Fijja Spring with 160 wells, from which we can draw water supplies when it exceeds 6 square meters/second.
 This can come in handy during the summer season in Damascus.
 We have also agreed with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to renovate old water channels, securing easier flow and an additional 10,000 square meters of water for residents of the Syrian capital.
 In the Jdeidet Yabous district, we dug 20 new wells, securing 20,000 square meters of water daily for Damascus.
 This project is being distributed throughout districts surrounding the capital.
 These projects will guarantee that we don’t reach the crisis stage.
 Through a comprehensive approach to water resources, we will provide 14 liters of water/day/person in Damascus.
 This is good, considering the scarcity we are experiencing in 2008.
 Without this comprehensive solution, we wouldn’t have been able to find solutions this Summer.
 What about rural Damascus? The water shortage problem there is more severe—by far.
 The Syrian Minister of Housing and Construction That is true; the problem is more severe, and so are the solutions being implemented.
 The investment we are putting into rural Damascus to solve the problem is also great.
 Many villages face major water shortages, which last up to one week.
 We are trying to reduce that by providing solutions to 250,000 residents by the end of 2008.
 In the northern rural district of Damascus, we are drawing 50,000 square meters of water per day from the Kalamoun district (surrounding Homs) to provide for Harasta, Duma, al-Tal, and Adra.
 The government has recently decided to stop granting licenses for real estate development agencies (which have been mushrooming all over Syria since 2000).
 The real estate problem is still on the rise, with prices going through the roof, yet some of these agencies were established as cover-up companies for fraud and embezzlement.
 They collected money from customers, to start real estate complexes, and never bought the land, making it off with the cash.
 Is corruption why these agencies were denied new licenses? There are currently 300 agencies for real estate development in Syria, with 600,000 shareholders.
 That number is enough—we think—and the decision to stop licensing new ones was recommended by the Union of Housing Cooperation.
 We can barely monitor the ones that are already in operation.
 With regard to the question whether corruption was a reason behind the government’s decision, the answer is: yes, of course.
 I ask shareholders and those who buy land from any agency to seek bylaws and contacts, and see for themselves that the land has in fact been purchased, before paying a penny.
 The government has recently put forth a law for real estate development and investment, awaiting ratification by parliament.
 This law will facilitate real estate purchase by respective city municipalities, and bring a halt to chaotic, un-planned construction.
 The Ministry of Finance is now studying a law for real estate funding, to compliment the earlier law on development.
 Mustapha al-Sayyed is a journalist based in Damascus, specialized in Syrian economic affairs.