Investigative report: PA steals Gaza's money
Hamas newspaper 28 May 2015
http://english.alresalah.ps/en/post.php?id=4686

GAZA CITY (Alresalah.ps)/ Exclusive -- Displaced Palestinians have long sat
on the rubble of their destroyed homes, slept on the ground and looked for
an end of their sufferings. They are well-aware by now that they are subject
to political blackmailing. The ongoing misery of Gazans is by all means a
source, which provides the PA with international funds and donations.

PA's policies of negligence, marginalization and monopoly practiced against
the Gaza Strip express injustice. Gaza is still suffering from financial
hardships, severe blockade and humanitarian shortages, although the PA
claims that it spends about 47% of its budget on the Gaza Strip.

As figures mounted and became so unclear, the Gaza-based Alresalah Newspaper
conducted this investigative report. Many questions were raised: How much
money does the PA collect from the people of the Gaza Strip? How much does
it spend on Gaza? How much money does the PA allocate the Gaza Strip?

Finding answers was not an easy job. Alresalah investigative team looked for
real figures released by the Palestinian Authority on the budget of 2014.
Access to accurate figures was blocked, so we relied on financial analysis
conducted by specialists and financial experts on the 2014 budget of the PA.

Shocking Figures

Since 2007 dispute, the PA took advantage of the situation and abandoned the
Gaza Strip its financial rights. The fact is that the PA receives grants
allocated to operate and develop the Palestinian territories as a whole,
including the Gaza Strip.

Generally speaking, the total budget of the PA hit 4.215$ billion, as
included in the 2014 PA General Budget Act, which was posted on the website
of the Ministry of Finance.

It is common that 40% of the general budget was dedicated to Gaza similar
before 2007. This means that the virtual quota allocated to Gaza is 1.686$
billion.

According to a study conducted by a team of financial analysts, the PA's
spending on Gaza does not exceed 22% of the total budget, and this is
equivalent to $ 918 million of the $ 1.7 billion.

According to a report issued the Palestinian Economic Policy Research
Institute (MAS), the estimated budget of 2014 was not as accurate as it was
in the previous budgets. There were significant deviations and manipulations
compared to the actual, previous figures.

Data show that revenues were higher by 159.45$ million than estimated. This
represents an increase of 5.8%. This increase came as a result of mounting
clearance revenues, which are estimated of 218.33$ million. This represents
an increase of 12% from than it is estimated.

Our investigative team consulted the PLC Rapporteur of Budget and Finance
Ibrahim Dahbour. He said that numbers and data refute the PA allegations and
show deception practiced by the PA against the Palestinian public opinion
through the media. The PA manipulates figures and fakes expenses allocated
to Gaza Strip.

Director of Coalition for Accountability and Integrity (AMAN) said the PA's
budget is not transparent at all, and it is not specified to what provinces
it is disbursed on.

Marginalizing Gaza

The Gaza Strip contributes significantly to the PA's total revenues, which
hit $ 2.76 billion during 2014, apart from the grants and foreign aids.
Still, the total clearance revenues reached 2.03$ billion. Gaza contributes
by 50% to the PA's clearance revenues.

Clearance revenues grew high in 2014 because all imports get to Gaza through
the Israeli side after the total closure of the tunnels. Israel's wars on
Gaza are another reason, mainly the 2014 war, for it resulted in the
destruction of infrastructure and economic productivity, and increased the
requirements of imports.

Dahbour explained that the PA skipped the Gaza Strip from 2014 budget, and
overlooked the operational and functional expenses of the coastal enclave on
purpose, despite the signing of the reconciliation agreement in April 2014
and the formation of a unity government.

Observers notice that the PA spends 60% of its budget on salaries, which
hits 2$ billion every year.

The number of PA employees reached 156,000 civilian and military employees,
of whom 62,000 are from the Gaza Strip (26,000 civilians 36,000 militants).

The PA spent $ 1.4 billion on development expenditure on all institutions
and ministries situated in the occupied West Bank only. No projects were
implemented in Gaza.

Alresalah Newspaper