RAMALLAH, July 9, 2017 (WAFA) – General Director of the General Directorate of Petroleum, Foad Shobaki, Sunday said the ongoing power crisis of the besieged Gaza Strip could be solved if Hamas, the de facto authority in Gaza, transferred the taxes it collects on fuel entering Gaza to the Palestinian Authority.

He said everyone in Gaza, whether individuals or industrial, social, or private firms, pays taxes on fuel to Hamas, but the latter does not in return transfer the taxes collected to the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah.

Shobaki expressed his regret that much of the tax-exempted fuel that was supplied to Gaza by the General Directorate of Petroleum during the last year and a half has been sold with the taxes included, which means that the consumers did not benefit from the tax exemptions granted by the PA.

He said the General Directorate of Petroleum grants about 5-10% tax exemptions to the nearly 600,000 liters of fuel transferred to Gaza everyday, although the cost of transport and shipping to Gaza is higher.

“We cover our operating expenses with very high difficulty, so we have to deal wisely and equitably when we manage our financial resources, and we avoid any discrimination between governorates,” he stressed.

M.N/M.H