Dr. Omar Al-Baytar: The Ministry of Finance seeks to achieve a qualitative shift in the procedures and mechanisms followed to serve the business community

Engineer Mohammed Al-Amour: The Ministry of Economy is working to provide the necessary facilities to serve the importer and ensure that goods reach the market

Dr. Salem Abu Khaizaran: The private sector faces challenges in light of the repercussions of aggression and genocide crimes

Ahmed Abu Eida: Urgent need for emergency recovery plans to confront the destruction of the social and economic foundations of life in Gaza

Abdo Idris: A common vision must be developed to determine priorities and meetings must be held between the government and the private sector to resolve obstacles

Ahmed Al Qawasmi: The necessity of translating the partnership between the public and private sectors into real actions and working to find effective solutions to problems

Muhammad Ghazi Al-Harbawi: The importance of working to re-examine the file of suppliers’ dues to the government and developing practical plans to pay them

Ahmed Al-Qadi: Contractors’ arrears threaten the continuity of their work, and delaying payment affects the economic cycle

Hisham Massad: The necessity of finding solutions regarding tax refunds and processing tax files in a manner that takes into account the Palestinian situation

Mahmoud Al-Zalmout: We must work urgently and quickly to find a solution to the private sector’s dues file, especially the pharmaceutical suppliers sector.

Dr. Muawiya Al-Qawasmi: The current stage requires developing strategic plans to resolve issues that limit economic development

Abdul Rahman Hijjawi: The necessity of addressing the obstacles related to import and export, as well as the obstacles to supplying products to Gaza

Tamer Bransi: Focusing on the capabilities of developers and programmers by opening new markets for them with the aim of achieving an economic shift

Mazen Al-Zughayer: Removing obstacles facing Palestinian companies and providing facilities to develop their businesses, which leads to absorbing new workers

The Federation of Palestinian Businessmen Associations and the Coordination Council of Private Sector Institutions held the first meeting with the Minister of Finance, Dr. Omar Bitar, and the Minister of National Economy, Eng. Mohammed Al-Amour, at the headquarters of the Palestinian Businessmen Association - New Jerusalem in Ramallah, in the presence of representatives and heads of Palestinian private sector institutions in Gaza and the West Bank.

Dr. Salem Abu Khaizaran, Secretary of the Coordination Council of Private Sector Institutions and Chairman of the Federation of Palestinian Businessmen Associations, welcomed the attendees from the West Bank and Gaza via video conference, opening the session with a minute of silence for the souls of the martyrs of Palestine and reciting Surat Al-Fatihah. He gave a comprehensive and complete presentation on the most important topics and issues that pose a challenge to the Palestinian private sector, especially in light of the repercussions of the Israeli aggression and crimes of genocide.

Ahmed Abu Eida, Chairman of the Businessmen Association - Gaza, presented a summary of the economic situation in Gaza, stressing the need for concerted efforts between the West Bank and Gaza, and the urgent need for emergency recovery plans for the Gaza Strip to confront the destruction carried out by the Israeli occupation against all components of social and economic life in the southern governorates.

Minister of Finance Dr. Omar Bitar pointed out that the Ministry is working intensively to bring about a qualitative shift in all procedures and mechanisms followed in the Ministry in a way that serves the Palestinian business community in an easy and fast manner, and that this radical transformation in the Ministry will bring about a qualitative shift in the relationship between the service provider and its recipient, stressing that the Ministry is doing its utmost according to the available financial resources to pay the dues of the private sector.

For his part, Minister of National Economy Eng. Mohammed Al-Amour stressed that the private sector is an integral part of the national economy, and the need to work together to overcome all challenges facing the national economy.

He added: Regarding the file of new procedures related to importing from Turkey, the Ministry is working in coordination with the Palestinian private sector to provide all facilities and harness all its capabilities to serve the Palestinian importer in order to ensure that goods reach the Palestinian market only.

Al-Amour pointed out that the request submitted regarding importing from Turkey is responded to within 24 hours, and an electronic window has been allocated for the purpose of submitting requests and speeding up their implementation. These procedures come in cooperation and coordination with the Turkish Ministry of Trade, stressing that the ministry will deal positively with any proposals that would develop the new mechanism.

New quota instructions

Regarding the quota, Al-Amour confirmed that the file has been completely re-studied, and new instructions have been made available to everyone on the ministry’s page, which will allow all private sector companies the opportunity to benefit from the quota system according to the new standards.

Regarding the file of new economic bills, Al-Amour confirmed that the ministry is conducting intensive consultations with the private sector to come up with modern laws that take into account the Palestinian situation and establish an attractive investment environment, the latest of which was the new investment bill that is being discussed with the private sector and relevant parties, as well as the insolvency bill.

In turn, Abdo Idris, Chairman of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce, pointed out the need for concerted efforts between the public and private sectors to confront all economic challenges, and stressed the importance of finding a common vision to determine priorities during the next stage, and holding periodic meetings between the government and the private sector to solve all problems and obstacles.

Ahmed Al-Qawasmi, Chairman of the Hebron Businessmen Forum, stressed the necessity of translating the partnership between the public and private sectors into real actions and joint work to be able to find effective solutions to the problems facing traders and businessmen, especially with regard to the process of developing companies and facilitating their work.

Mohammed Ghazi Al-Harbawi, Vice President of the Palestinian Federation of Industries, pointed to the challenges facing factories that supplied their products to the Gaza Strip before the war, and whose dues were not addressed, stressing the need to find solutions to enable these companies to continue their work, stressing the need to work on re-examining the file of suppliers’ dues to the government, and developing practical plans to pay these dues.

Ahmed Al-Qadi, head of the Palestinian Contractors Union, confirmed that contractors’ arrears have become a threat to the continuity of contractors’ work in Palestine, and the delay in paying them directly affects the economic wheel in Palestine and prevents companies from paying their employees’ dues.

Hisham Masad, Chairman of the Businessmen Forum - Jenin, addressed the difficult economic situation experienced by businessmen in Jenin and all governorates of the homeland and the economic recession that Palestine is experiencing, stressing the need to work on finding joint solutions regarding tax refunds and processing tax files of taxpayers in a manner that takes into account the Palestinian situation.

For his part, Mahmoud Al-Zalmut, Treasurer of the Palestinian Businessmen Association - Jerusalem, pointed out the necessity of working urgently and quickly to find a solution to the file of the private sector’s dues, especially the drug suppliers sector, which has become unable to fulfill its obligations to suppliers as a result of its dues to the government.

Dr. Muawiya Al Qawasmi stressed that the current stage requires a joint national effort and the development of joint strategic plans between the public and private sectors to resolve all issues that may limit the achievement of comprehensive economic development and work together to confront all challenges.

Abdul Rahman Hijjawi, representative of the Palestinian Trade Center in Palestine, pointed out the need to address the obstacles related to import and export, especially through the Karameh crossing, in addition to the obstacles to supplying Palestinian products to the Gaza Strip.

Tamer Bransi, Chairman of the Palestinian Information Technology Association (PITA), pointed out the need to focus on the potential of Palestinian developers and programmers by opening new markets for them, as this sector can achieve a qualitative economic shift for the national economy, stressing the need to work on developing the legal and legislative environment regulating this important sector.

Mazen Al-Zughayer, a member of the Board of Directors of the Hebron Businessmen Forum, stressed the need to remove obstacles facing Palestinian companies and provide them with the necessary facilities to develop and expand their businesses, which would in turn lead to the absorption of new Palestinian workers.

At the end of the meeting, the attendees stressed the need to hold regular monthly meetings, combine all efforts to confront current economic challenges and issues, and begin intensive efforts to revive the national economy.