RAMALLAH — The European Union and Qatar have aided employees
of the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority, who have not been paid regularly since February.
The EU has transferred funding to more than 70,000 PA employees and
pensioners over the last four months, Middle East Newsline reported.
The EU statement said PA employees have not been paid on a monthly basis
since February 2006.
About 50,000 PA employees and pensioners have been receiving the EU
social allowance since August. The program was expanded to more than 70,000
in October. The EU said about 420,000 persons have benefited from the
Temporary International Mechanism.
"This will alleviate the impact of the current crisis on ordinary people
that have witnessed a steep decline in their purchasing power," the EU said
on Dec. 1.
Over the last year, the EU has increased its aid to the Palestinians.
Officials said the EU allocated 651 million euros to the Palestinians in
2006, a 27 percent increase from the previous year.
The funding, meant to bolster the
incomes of civil servants stemmed from a
program entitled "Temporary International Mechanism."
Under the EU plan, each beneficiary with a basic
revenues below 2,500 Israeli shekels, or 450 euros, would receive an
allowance of 1,500 shekels. The project has been valued at 20 million euros.
"This payment is made from contributions to the Temporary International
Mechanism from France, Germany, Norway and the United Kingdom," the
statement said.
In a separate decision, Qatar plans to pay the salaries of 40,000 PA
teachers. PA Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, on a weekend trip to Doha, said
Qatar would also consider an additional $7 million per month for PA health
employees.
"Qatar will pay the salaries of all the education employees, who are
40,000," Haniyeh said. "This amount will total $22.5 million per month for
the coming several months starting now."
