Today, Wednesday, Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh opened the activities of the “Nablus Expo 2023” exhibition, organized by the Nablus Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The Acting Governor of Nablus Governorate, Ghassan Douglas, the Mayor of Nablus, Sami Hijjawi, a number of ministers, a number of members of the diplomatic corps accredited to Palestine, and representatives of official and national activities in the governorate participated in the opening.

Shtayyeh said that the event is important and exceptional in an exceptional city, thanking the organizers of the exhibition and the events and institutions of Nablus.

He added: "A few days ago, the Prime Minister of the occupation government declared that between Ebal and Gerizim lies what he does not want, and today from Nablus, between Ebal and Gerizim, a message to the occupier that this city throughout history has taught the invaders a lesson that they have not forgotten in their history. Salutes to Nablus with its martyrs, prisoners, wounded and all... Its fighters.”

He continued: “This event today is the one that breaks the siege on Nablus, and embodies the unity of the situation in Palestine between the river and the sea, that the markets of the city of Nablus will be open to our people from inside and in Jerusalem, that the security situation in Nablus will be at the highest level, and that order and law will be the master of the situation.” “And that Nablus should be beautiful with all its lanes and streets. The beauty of Nablus attracts visitors and the security situation enhances the economy.”

The Prime Minister stressed "the importance of harmony and collective responsibility between all institutions and activities, and with unity a lot can be achieved," saying: "Today we hung the bell and opened a new page in the steadfast town of Beit Iba, which is considered one of the borders of Nablus."

He stressed that the Palestinian economy is strong; The economic growth rate in 2022 reached 3.5%, exports increased 7%, while imports increased 16.5%, and the unemployment rate in Palestine when we took over the government was 21%, and today it is 12.6%, and therefore economic indicators are on the rise, and citizens’ deposits in banks About 17 billion dollars.

The Prime Minister continued: “We are living in a state of financial siege imposed on the government. Donors’ money used to constitute 30% of the total budget, and today it has decreased to 3%. When the money was given to us for political concessions, we did not compromise politically, and today, while we are under financial siege, we will not.” We compromise politically, and President Mahmoud Abbas, and we with him and behind him, adhere to the national constants: defeating the occupation, establishing the state with Jerusalem as its capital, and the right of return for refugees, and since 1988 we have been on the same position.”

He stressed that "national unity is sacred and not a slogan, and we will spare no effort to achieve Palestinian national unity." Emphasizing readiness to provide everything necessary to achieve it.

Shtayyeh stressed the importance of partnership with the private sector, as required of the government to enact stimulating laws and create an attractive environment for investment.

He said, "Since the stifling financial crisis, we have not raised taxes on anyone, despite the rise in prices imposed by the crisis in Ukraine. Rather, we provide support for services and goods provided to citizens. For every cup of water, the government provides one shekel in support, and 20% support from the electricity bill." We supported bakeries so that the price of bread would not rise."

He added: We know that 66% of our people in the Gaza Strip are “refugees,” and 27% of our people in the West Bank are “refugees,” and that is why we were keen to strengthen and provide all the elements of steadfastness and provide support, stressing that “the private sector must be the main operator in any situation.” Economy".

He pointed out that the majority of visits to countries abroad were with the participation of a delegation of businessmen, in order to open doors for investment and achieve profit despite the occupation measures, and we have success stories that we are proud of in the economy.

The Prime Minister said: “We have allocated $400 million to strengthen the Palestinian private sector, by establishing a “sustainability” program for loans with an interest rate of only 1.5%, in addition to supporting economic establishments that have been affected by the “Corona” pandemic.

He called on businessmen and all sectors to meet with the Ministers of Finance and Economy, to inform them of the plans and projects that the government intends to implement, whether from its capabilities or from donor funds, stressing that cash aid had been provided to the industrial zones in Gaza, Jericho, Bethlehem, Hebron, and Jenin, and we are working for it to be a zone. A distinguished industrial sector in Nablus, and today should be a starting point for all of us to restore Nablus to its position.

He said: “On the anniversary of the martyrdom of the fighter Saad Sayel, a tender was issued to establish a hospital bearing his name, which was awarded to one of the companies in Nablus to begin construction on the hospital, and the necessary funds were provided for that, to complete the ring road, and to re-establish a dialysis unit to cover the governorates of the northern West Bank.” All in coordination with the Palestinian Red Crescent.

The Prime Minister continued: “No one is above the law, and the security services have instructions from President Mahmoud Abbas to prevent tampering in the internal affairs, and we will be on the lookout for anyone who tampers with the economy and security of the country, to preserve the promising future for the sake of the youth, and we will not allow a repetition of what happened in the Hebron Governorate.” A condemnable act.”

For his part, Douglas said, "Nablus broke the siege with the unity of its institutions, which decided from the first moment to restore the prestige of Nablus as an economic capital, and thwart plans aimed at further political siege with the steadfastness of the Palestinian leadership and all sectors of the Palestinian people."

He stressed that achieving security and safety is what gives the opportunity to organize such exhibitions, and to think about mobilizing determination to build the nation and strengthen popular resistance against the occupation’s measures.

In turn, the head of the Nablus Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Sameh Al-Masry, said, “Nablus is considered the economic capital of Palestine and the owner of civilization and history,” stressing the continuation of work to raise the banner of success, development, and achievement despite the occupation’s measures.

He added, "The approval of an event such as Expo Nablus 2023 was done by the Chamber's Board of Directors in order to break the obsession of fear, strengthen the economy and the national product, restore life to Nablus, and continue working to achieve all these goals."

For his part, President of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, Abdo Idris, said that this achievement is the beginning of the return of Nablus’ status to its era, stressing that the Palestinian private sector is the fence for preserving the nation and formulating policies for future generations, calling for unified efforts and integration between the various governorates of the nation in organizing these important events.

In the same context, the CEO of the Telecommunications Company, Abdul Majeed Melhem, stressed that the exhibition will contribute to defining the identity of Nablus, displaying the products for which it is famous, and creating a state of progress in light of the difficult circumstances.

The coordinator of events and institutions in Nablus, Zahi Anabtawi, pointed to the efforts exerted by all corners of the governorate’s institutions and their combined efforts to make this exhibition a success, which indicates that joint work is the only guarantee of the success of the missions.

For his part, the media spokesman, member of the Board of Directors of the Nablus Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Yassin Dweikat, said that the exhibition will last for five days, with the participation of 70 participants who are owners of companies and factories from various governorates of the country, in addition to 30 participants who own services such as restaurants, sweets, and others.

He added that the exhibition is being held on an area of about 30 dunums, divided into several sectors. In order to provide all requirements for visitors, including services and entertainment for children and a theater for holding national, religious, folklore and other events, an employment day will also be held on the sidelines of the exhibition on September 30 of this year, especially for new graduates and those looking for job opportunities. This will provide a qualitative addition to other exhibitions, and will be a link between employers and graduates.

He pointed out that Nablus Governorate suffered a lot as a result of the siege imposed on it, with economic losses in all sectors estimated at 30-40%.