Prime Minister, Mohammad Mustafa, met with a delegation from the World Bank, headed by Managing Director of Operations Anna Bjerde, during which they stressed the importance of coordinating relief efforts in Gaza and the West Bank with all partners to make maximum use of all available resources.
During a meeting at the premier’s office in Ramallah, Mustafa highlighted the need for the World Bank and international partners to work side by side with the government in light of the difficult circumstances inflicted by the continued illegal Israeli occupation’s deductions from the Palestinian clearance funds and the deteriorating economic conditions resulting from its continued measures and aggression against the Palestinian people.
He stressed the importance of donor support, as an essential part of the development program in Palestine, especially budget support.
Mustafa affirmed that this support has decreased significantly over the past years, noting that the government is counting on the outcomes of the donor conference in Brussels at the end of this month to mobilize financial, political and relief support.
The Prime Minister said that Israel uses deductions from the clearance funds as a punishment against the Palestinian people, stating that “we must work to review the clearance procedures and terms and increase the volume of trade exchange with neighboring countries such as Jordan and Egypt.”
For her part, Birdie affirmed the World Bank’s continued support and partnership with Palestine, stressing that maximum efforts will be made to overcome the difficult circumstances and achieve stability and sustainability for all sectors.
Source: WAFA
