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Friday, August 27, 2010     FOR YOUR EYES ONLY

Cash-strapped Palestinians may cut salaries of bloated security force

RAMALLAH — The Palestinian Authority is examining a plan to reduce spending for its security forces.

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PA sources said security commanders have been mulling a plan that would reduce the salaries of thousands of members of the police and security forces. They said the plan called for the establishment of a reserve force that would receive a much smaller salary than the regular forces.

"There is a shortage of funds and we can't sustain the size of these forces for much longer without significant foreign help," a PA source said.


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The sources said the plan was drafted in mid-2010 in after consultations with PA allies in the European Union. They said PA security commanders completed management training in Norway to help plan for a budget shortfall over the next year.

Under the plan, the PA would place thousands of members of the security forces from active to reserve duty. This meant that the officers would be on standby for operations but would not report to work.

The sources said the standby officers would receive 70 percent of their current salaries. New PA officers receive about $350 per month.

The PA has maintained a force of about 25,000 police and security officers. The largest force is the police, with about 7,500 personnel.

The sources said Prime Minister Salam Fayad has been briefed on the plan. But they said the prime minister, a former World Bank official, has not yet approved the concept of a standby force.



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