Palestinian Authority employees will get 60% of their salaries

Shtayyeh: We will continue to honor our obligations to families of prisoners, martyrs.

By KHALED ABU TOAMEH
Cool pic Palestine money 370 (photo credit: REUTERS/Tarmizy Harva)
Cool pic Palestine money 370
(photo credit: REUTERS/Tarmizy Harva)
The Palestinian Authority will pay its employees only 60% of their June salaries, while honoring its obligations toward the families of security prisoners and Palestinians killed in attacks on Israel, PA Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said.
Speaking during the Palestinian Authority cabinet meeting in Ramallah on Monday, Shtayyeh praised the employees “for their patience” and the public sector “for their understanding.”
In the past few months, public employees have been receiving 50% to 60% of their salaries due to the financial crisis in the PA, as a result of Israel’s decision to deduct payments made by the PA government to families of prisoners and “martyrs” from tax revenues it collects on behalf of the Palestinians.
The PA has refused to receive any tax revenues as long as Israel continues to deduct the payments.
“Israel is still holding our money, and we are still refusing to receive the incomplete funds,” Shtayyeh said, adding that the PA has received the first installment of Qatari financial aid and loans.
In May, Qatar pledged $480 million in support of the Palestinians, with $300m. allocated in grants and loans to support the PA budget, and the remaining $180m. to humanitarian projects and UN programs in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
“On the instructions of President Mahmoud Abbas, we will pay 60% of the June salaries to public employees in the West Bank and Gaza Strip,” Shtayyeh added. “Employees who earn less than NIS 2,000 will receive full salaries.”
Shtayyeh said his government has decided to set up a financial legal team “to follow up all cases of piracy of our money by Israel.”
He again boasted that the Palestinians and their leaders “have thwarted the Bahrain workshop,” which was sponsored by the US administration under the title “Peace to Prosperity.” The conference, he said, did not produce fruitful results.
The PA cabinet also decided at Monday’s meeting to provide new financial payments to help hospitals and educational institutions in east Jerusalem.
The US administration decided last year to freeze $25m. in funding to east Jerusalem hospitals. The East Jerusalem Hospital Network, which comprises six hospitals, had routinely received US aid.