NEW YORK, Friday, September 23, 2022 (WAFA) – Premier Mohammad Shtayyeh Thursday discussed the financial situation of the Palestinian government with World Bank (WB) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) officials in New York.

During separate meetings with WB Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa Ferid Belhaj and Deputy Director of IMF Middle East and Central Asia Department Subir on the sidelines of the donors meeting at the United Nations in New York, Premier Shtayyeh briefed Belhaj and Subir on the government’s progress on implementing the financial and administrative reform agenda, which involves the optimal utilization of available resources, increasing revenues, decreasing expenditures, and enacting several modern laws in line with relevant international standards.

He stressed that the financial situation of the Palestinian government was difficult given the decline of international aid, ongoing unilateral deductions from the Palestinian tax revenues by Israel and inaccessibility to Palestinian natural resources, particularly in Area C.

Prime Minister Shtayyeh pointed that the reform measures would not be sufficient to address the government’s grave financial situation given the entrenchment of Israeli control over Palestinian land, borders and natural resources as well as ongoing tax deductions, while calling on the international community to continue to continue supporting Palestine and to pressure Israel to abide by the signed agreements.

He thanked WB and IMF for their professional reports, set to be presented to the donors meeting, that hold Israel liable for the Palestinian Authority’s grave financial situation.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shtayyeh held a meeting with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell on the sidelines of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) at the UN Headquarters in New York.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Shtayyeh underscored the importance of revitalizing the long-stalled peace process and safeguarding the two-state solution.

He briefed Borrell on the daily Israeli repressive practices against Palestinians and undermining the Palestinian Authority, which would risk further worsening the situation on the ground, while calling the EU to continue to support Palestine.

K.F.