Gaza has excelled financially

MP Jamal Nassar Gaza - Mohammed Habib MP Jamal Nassar, Chairman of the Budget Committee of the Palestinian Legislative Council to the government in Gaza confirmed that the revenues over the last year was the highest since the new government started its work, and that the late payment of salaries was the result of a liquidity crisis only. Nassar pointed out in an exclusive interview to "Arabs today," that the Legislative Council is adopting a special law to force the government on re-planning development projects, as what was invested in the settlements vacated by the Israeli occupation in the Gaza Strip in 2006, can provide work for twenty thousand workers. Nassar said that the Legislative Council did not play its role fully because of the division. He pointing out that the idea of reconciliation first came out of the Change and Reform party out of the belief that it is the solution to the political, economic and social problems of citizens. He explained that the Council plays a monitoring role on the budget, noting that it is not mere numbers, but also includes the plan of the economic development which the Palestinian law requires it to be submitted two months before the budget. He indicated that the development plan are placed in the budget on the category of development expenditure, saying that the budget is an essential tool for the government to implement a detailed program of resources and expenditure, and achieve the goals and objectives in the economic, security, social and political fields. Nassar confirmed that the Legislative Council approved the initial reading of the economic development plan law to force the government to hand over the Council the development plan every five years according to the law where the legislative bill was amended last week, in order to achieve justice and for the interests of citizens. Nassar pointed to a problem in the employment policy pursued by the government in Gaza as it worked to meet the needs of citizens, without consideration of the financial position aiming at improving economic conditions for those who have been unemployment for many years. He pointed out that they put all the potentials of Hamas movement before the government and serving the citizens calling on the citizens to submit any complain to the legislator to consider it and return the right to who deserves it. He denied the existence of a financial crisis suffered by the government, stressing that the financial situation of the government is the best ever since taking office, explaining that the government was able to collect fees from classes that have made large profits according to the rule of taking from the privileged to give those in need. He noted that any successful government is the one that provides security and money, stressing that he was against the usage of funds money for salaries but the blockade and the poor economic situation forced them to do so. Nassar said, "The governorate of Ramallah, takes Gaza's right of taxes, which is estimated at $ 48 million, adding that Fayyad pays the salaries from those taxes, tricking everyone that he pays the salaries from other country's funds to make the Palestinian people feel he does a favour." Nassar confirmed that any government is supposed to pay the salaries of its employees and operating expenses from the local income, the higher the income increased the more the recruitment process is, so that the remaining aids and grants should be devoted to the citizens' serving projects. However, the government could not apply this because of the blockade. He emphasized that the internal revenues for the government have reached its highest levels, without affecting the poor negatively, pointing out that the government was using revenues and grants to cover the wages bill which is up to 80 million NIS and the problem lies in a liquidity crisis no more. As for his investment vision, Nassar believes that small projects are important because they are serving the Palestinian people and are not exposed to bombing or losses as well as operating labour. He also pointed out that what was invested in the freed areas will result in two years in the employment of twenty thousand employees in the fields of agriculture in addition to achieving food security.