Israel Matzav

EU 'discovers' it's paying for no-show jobs in Gaza

I don't know how they could have missed it until now, but the European Union has 'discovered' that it is paying the 'salaries' of thousands of 'Palestinian Authority employees' in Gaza who are paid to stay home.

Since 2008, the EU's largest program in PA territorry has been PEGASE DFS, which provided approximately $1.4 billion (1 billion euros) in funding from 2008 to 2012. PEGASE DFS seeks to help the PA to meet its obligations to civil servants, pensioners and vulnerable families, maintain essential public services and improve public finances.

“While the Commission and European External Action Service (EEAS) have succeeded in implementing the support to the Palestinian Authority in difficult circumstances, there are a number of aspects of the current approach that are increasingly in need of an overhaul” stated Wessberg. “Although some important results have been achieved, there is a need for major revisions such as encouraging the PA to undertake more reforms, notably in relation to its civil service. Furthermore, a way needs to be found to bring Israel to take the necessary steps to help ensure that PEGASE DFS is effective”.

The European Union has provided more than $7.7 billion (5.6 billion euros) in assistance to the Palestinian people since 1994.

The report recommends that an agreement be reached with the PA for the funding of salaries and pensions from PEGASE DFS for civil servants in Gaza to be discontinued and redirected to Judea and Samaria.

It also recommends that Israel be pressed to find ways to make PEGASE more effective. In this, it is reminiscent of a Dutch EU report also released Wednesday, which blames Israel for the fact that Palestinian institutions are not democratic enough.

Excuse me, but how do they propose that Israel make it 'more effective'? Send in the IDF?

Labels: European Union, Fatah, Gaza plenty, Hamas, Palestinian Authority, Palestinian Authority donors

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 4:58 PM