Syria's interim government will increase the salaries of many public sector employees by 400% starting in February as part of measures to stabilize the economy after 13 years of conflict and sanctions.

Axar.az reports that Syria's Finance Minister, Mohammed Abazeed, shared this information in an interview with Reuters.

"This is the first step towards an emergency solution to the country's economic situation," he said.

Abazeed noted that during Bashar al-Assad's presidency, public sector employees in Syria earned approximately $25 per month, which placed them below the poverty line like the majority of the population.