Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh said on Thursday, “Government funding for the agriculture sector has increased by 100%, while the sector’s share in the gross domestic product has tripled since his government took office.”

This came during the laying of the foundation stone for the wheat silos project in the village of Burham, north of Ramallah, in a ceremony attended by the Minister of Economy, Khaled Al-Asili, the Governor of Ramallah and Al-Bireh, Laila Ghannam, representatives of the implementing companies, and a number of officials and businessmen.

Shtayyeh added, “The project is at the core of the government’s strategy to achieve food security,” expressing his hope that the project will be completed “in the shortest possible time.”

He considered that the wheat silos project “reflects the spirit of partnership between the government and the private sector, and is at the core of the government’s work and vision, not only to provide a strategic stock of wheat, but to encourage farmers to return to wheat cultivation.”

Shtayyeh said: “We hope that the financing and implementing companies will complete the project in the shortest possible time,” pledging that the government will provide “everything necessary” to complete the project.”

He added: “The economy is a lever for politics, and it is part of the struggle scene of our people,” stressing that President Mahmoud Abbas attaches great importance to the wheat silo project, and other strategic projects.

For his part, Al-Osaili said, “The wheat silos project is part of a series of strategic projects that the government is working to implement, such as water dams and the rehabilitation of the Wadi Al-Nar road.”

He added: "The government is keen, in this difficult period in which we are living, of siege and weak capabilities, to partner with the private sector, which is a real partnership."

He continued: "In light of the sharp rise in commodity prices, especially in light of the Corona pandemic, the government has taken several measures to alleviate the burden on citizens, such as exempting bakeries and mills from value-added tax for a period of six months, in addition to its contribution to supporting many goods and services such as fuel, water and electricity."

At the beginning of last August, the government signed a contract to establish silos in the “Palestine Silos” Company, which is a coalition of three companies, one of which is a contracting company, the second with experience in the field of wheat, and the third specialized in designing and managing silos and is owned by a Palestinian businessman and headquartered in Dubai, while It will be implemented by a Canadian-based company, also owned by a Palestinian businessman.

The cost of the project amounts to 45-50 million dollars, fully funded by the private sector, and includes facilities in both Ramallah and Hebron, with a storage capacity, divided equally, of 80 thousand tons of wheat, sufficient for the local market for 3 months, rising to 6 months with the stock of merchants taken into account. .

The project will be implemented within 24 months, and the General Manager of the Palestine Silos Company, Ziad Nafi, said that the company will work to complete it in less than two years.