Ramallah - "Jerusalem" dot com - The Monetary Authority , in cooperation with CARE International, organized an awareness workshop in Nablus Governorate, on access to financing sources, with the participation of about thirty women and youth entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs from the governorates of Nablus and Jenin, in the presence of representatives of some Banks operating in Palestine.

In his welcoming speech, Mr. Iyad Zitawi, Director of the Financial Stability Department at the Monetary Authority, said that the workshop comes within the framework of a series of meetings aimed at exploring financing options, developing and supporting projects, especially small ones, and enabling entrepreneurial women and youth to access financing provided through banks and specialized lending institutions. Which contributes to the development and sustainability of these projects and the creation of additional job opportunities, thus stimulating and developing the Palestinian economy.

He referred to the efforts of the Monetary Authority in promoting financial inclusion and supporting entrepreneurs, most notably the Financial Inclusion Account, e-wallet services, Manshati platform, Sustainability Fund, and the Regulatory Lab, in addition to the approval of many legislations and instructions that will contribute to creating an environment supportive of creativity and facilitating business and financial services.

In another welcoming speech, Mrs. Buthaina Mazyad, Gender Coordinator at CARE International, touched on the Doroob project implemented by CARE, with the aim of promoting the empowerment and economic prosperity of women and youth (female and male) with limited and medium incomes in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

She added that CARE and its partners seek to achieve the goals of the Abder project by working to improve the regulatory and enabling environment for entrepreneurship, and working to address barriers and obstacles that prevent the economic empowerment of women and young men and women, by supporting economic empowerment institutions, service providers, and actors from the public and private sectors. To provide better services to male and female entrepreneurs, taking into account gender differences, and reducing the obstacles they face. Meanwhile, CARE and its partners are building capacity and employment opportunities for women and youth to successfully start, run, and grow sustainable businesses.

Mr. Muhannad Salous, Head of the Financial Inclusion Department, gave a presentation on the Monetary Authority's efforts to enhance financial inclusion in Palestine and to deliver banking services to all segments of society, most notably electronic payment services and its modern technological means to complete financial transactions.

Mr. Mahmoud Barhoum, who is in charge of supervising the Sustainability Department, gave an explanation about the Sustainability Fund, which is supervised by the Monetary Authority, and its financing programs, which includes a program dedicated to providing financing for small, very small and micro projects owned by women, youth and marginalized groups, and the mechanism for obtaining financing for projects. through the fund.

During the workshop, working groups were held with the participation of entrepreneurs, the Monetary Authority and banks, and a discussion took place between the participants, speakers and representatives of banks, about the mechanisms, conditions and guarantees that must be available to obtain financing through the micro-projects program of the Sustainability Fund. The attendees’ inquiries were answered and solutions were provided to them to facilitate their access. to funding sources.

It is worth noting that this workshop is part of a series of awareness workshops, implemented by the Palestinian Monetary Authority in cooperation with international institutions and civil society institutions, with the aim of enhancing women's access to financial inclusion services and their benefit from gender-sensitive financial and banking services.