One reason why Syria feels that it does not need to move ahead as quickly with economic reforms as some other regional countries is that it still has plentiful natural resources. Agriculture, for example, accounts for about one-third of the economy, and has benefited from major efficiency gains over recent years.
Central Bank governor Bashar Kabbarah is especially effusive in highlighting the progress that has been made in agriculture, describing the accomplishments of the past 15 years as a "green revolution". He says: "Up until the middle of the 1980s we imported food, even wheat. Now, in spite of the increase...
