Reuters: Syria deletes zero and Bashar al -Assad’s image from its new currency

Seven well -informed sources said that Syria will issue new banknotes, and will delete Safin from its currency in an attempt to restore confidence in the lira, whose value has decreased strongly.

This step aims to strengthen the Syrian pound in the wake of the 14 -year -old Syrian crisis and ended with the overthrow of President Bashar al -Assad last December. The form of the new currency has not yet been presented, but it will certainly not include the image of former President Bashar al -Assad or any symbol of his rule.

The Syrian pound has collapsed since the outbreak of the crisis in 2011, as the exchange rate now reached about 10,000 pounds against the dollar, compared to 50 pounds before the war.

The sharp decrease in the value of the currency has made daily transactions and financial transfers increasingly more difficult.

Families usually pay the price of the weekly purchases of black plastic bags containing at least half a kilogram of banknotes at a value of 5,000 pounds, which is currently the highest category.

In an attempt to facilitate transactions and improve monetary stability, the Syrian Central Bank informed private banks in mid -August that it intends to issue a new currency by “removing the zeros”, according to a document seen by “Reuters”.