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Money arrives in Gaza; PA salaries to be paid
PA employees in Strip to receive salaries in wake of fund transfer from West Bank, Palestinian news agency reports
Roee Nahmias
Some Palestinian Authority employees in Gaza received their salaries Friday, after Israel approved the transfer of NIS 100 million (about $25 million) from the West Bank to the Strip.
The fund transfer approved by Defense Minister Ehud Barak and was aimed at assisting Gaza banks in dealing with cash flow problems.
Gaza banking sources told Palestinian news agency Na'an that PA officials in the Strip were expected to receive their salaries at 5 pm Friday. According to the report, the employees would be able to withdraw their money at automated teller machines or wait for banks to open on Saturday.
However, top PA officials are not yet satisfied. Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, speaking at a Ramallah press conference Thursday, said that the amount of money transferred to Gaza is insufficient.
The Palestinian PM cited a severe shortage in shekels in Gaza, saying that banks in the Strip have no more than NIS 47 million (roughly $12 million) in their possession. According to Fayyad, banks in the Gaza Strip need a sum of NIS 100 million every month in order to pay the salaries of PA employees.
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