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Palestinian Authority, Israel agree on revenue revamp
Published Wednesday 01/08/2012 (updated) 05/08/2012 16:49
JERUSALEM (Reuters) -- The Palestinian Authority and Israel agreed on a revamp of revenue collection that may help relieve the Palestinian government's deepening debt crisis, officials said Tuesday.

The aid-dependent Palestinian economy in the occupied West Bank is facing a deepening financial crisis due to a drop in aid from Western backers and wealthy Gulf states as well as Israeli restrictions on trade.

An Israeli Finance Ministry statement said the sides agreed on steps that would better facilitate the movement of goods between Israel and the Palestinian Authority and reduce illegal trade and tax evasion, measures that could increase revenue.

Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and Israeli Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz signed off on the arrangements that will begin to be implemented on January 2013.

"I am certain that the arrangements concluded will help strengthen the economic base of the Palestinian Authority, through bolstering our tax system and increasing revenue from the proper collection of taxes," the statement quoted Fayyad as saying.

The new measures include the use of advanced technologies that will improve both sides' monitoring flow of goods as well as the construction of pipelines that will transfer petroleum products from Israel to the Palestinian Authority.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967 and interim peace deals have tasked it with levying taxes and customs duties on the Palestinian Authority's behalf, amounting to around $100 million a month, on goods imported into the territories.

Peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians broke down in 2010 in a dispute over Israeli settlement building in the West Bank. Under interim peace agreements the Palestinian Authority exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank.

A brief report by the International Monetary Fund on the economic situation in May described the Palestinian Authority's fiscal crisis as "very challenging" and said foreign aid was "far less than needed to finance the deficit" of around $1.3 billion in 2012.
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1 ) Salma / Palestine
01/08/2012 11:00
shame shame shame ! and Mr. Fayyad wonders why Palestinian cause marginalized !!!

2 ) shirley / australia
01/08/2012 11:56
what these 2 collude to braek international law and let Isreal collect and tax pals as an occupying force totally illegal under international law and enhances the occupation and Isreal uses this money as aweapon when pals and PA do not doi what Isreal wants what a joke and the PA continue to endorse this and recently signed up again for this toatal hypcrisy in 2006 Isreak witheld 1/2 billion dollars this is continuing tactic and PA allow itdo nothing of late to stop these agreements after UNESCO

3 ) southparkbear / usa
01/08/2012 13:44
why not sign a mutual boycott agreement. you tell us BDS, boycotte and suddenly a new trade agreement is the palestinian messianism?

4 ) AKeenReader / UK
01/08/2012 14:25
Don't trust agreements signed with Israeli's. An example of prisoners release agreements confirm that Palestinians can't trust Israel. They are liars.

5 ) Fiscal / Crisis
01/08/2012 16:31
I understood what the problem is: palestinians need a revenue vamp, not a "revamp". Vamp will solve all their money problems.

6 ) EE / UK
01/08/2012 16:49
Very strange behavior from Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. He is the one who promotes palestinian boycott of the Israeli-made goods. I think it is time for Israelis to boycott palestinian-made goods and palestinian labor. And Israel should let palestinians to collect their taxes and fees. And then we will see how much revenue palestinians collect. Israel should treat palestinians with their own medicine of boycott.

7 ) Too JUST / Just LIES
01/08/2012 18:42
It is time that Israelis "wised-up", or the PA stop lying, since
either Israelis are simply too JUST, or just plain stupid, or else
the Palestinian Authority JUST issued more lies, because there is
NO reason for Israel to agree to Negotiate a "revenue revamp", while
the Palestinian Authority refuses to Negotiate a Peace Agreement !!!!

8 ) Carlos / usa
01/08/2012 19:16
Akeenreader/UK is 100% right. israel lies alot.

9 ) Arnold / Canada
01/08/2012 20:15
Palestine.....wake up. Europe is broke. The Arab Spring did in your political backers. Even Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood has to focus on governing the largest Arab/Muslim country. As the other article today about Egypt mentioned, the brotherhood needs to focus on the economy and people's needs. The Palestinian cause is secondary. All you have now is Hezbollah,Iran, and a rumble or two from Turkey. But even Turkey is concerned about Syria. Palestine is down the list.

10 ) @ Akeenreader-4 & Carlos-8 / TRUTH
02/08/2012 18:04
Israel Neither lied about allowing the PLO to return from exile,
Nor giving the PLO control of Gaza, Area A, and Area B,
Nor the opportunity to Negotiate for more land and statehood.
- These are all promises Israel kept !!!

Now what promises has the PLO kept ??
- NOT to remove anti-Israel language from their Charter,
- NOT to end incitement to violence,
- NOT to Negotiate,
- NOT to act unilaterally, etc. !!!!

The TRUTH is that both you and the PLO are the "100% Liars" !!
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