Position of the Civil Society Team To Enhance Public Budget Transparency on “Decree Law No. (8) of 2024 amending the Law on Rewards and Salaries for Members of the Legislative Council, Members of the Government and Governors”

Position of the Civil Society Team To Enhance Public Budget Transparency on “Decree Law No. (8) of 2024 amending the Law on Rewards and Salaries for Members of the Legislative Council, Members of the Government and Governors”

The Palestinian Authority is facing serious financial challenges as a result of the drying up of available financial resources and the occupation's continued piracy of clearance funds. The financial challenges led to resorting to measures to rationalize government spending, paying 50-70% of public sector workers' salaries for about 3 years, followed by the trend to review operational expenditures and look for ways to reduce them. In the midst of the financial crisis, and unexpectedly, the president issued a decree law on amending the law on the remuneration and salaries of members of the Legislative Council, members of the government and governors, to add those who are equivalent to ministers to receive the remuneration and privileges of ministers.

In the absence of an explanatory note or a legislative policy memorandum, the decree law expanded the category of beneficiaries to include “those who are appointed or hold the position of head of a government department with the rank of minister.” This means that all those with the rank of minister will receive the monthly bonuses or salaries that the minister receives, thus adding a number of heads of non-ministerial public institutions with the rank of minister to give them the retirement benefits that the minister receives as well.

In light of this amendment, the Civil Society Team believes that this decision, which comes in light of the fierce war waged by the Israeli occupation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, in light of the financial crisis plaguing the Palestinian Authority and the subsequent deterioration of economic conditions, and in light of the Palestinian society's preoccupation with challenges and difficult circumstances, is as follows:

The amendment of the law comes within the framework of the ruling authority's continued policy of appeasement of certain groups, especially in senior positions.

• The amendment of the law contradicts the government's tendency to reform and rationalize operational expenditures, and to take measures for financial reform and rationalization of the PA’s institutions, which will increase the burden on the public treasury.
• The amendment of the law will exacerbate the budget deficit, at a time when public sector employees receive part of their salaries, and the poor receive only 2 out of 4 payments as cash assistance.
• The Team wonders whether this decision was issued with the recommendation or knowledge of the Council of Ministers or was passed by other parties bypassing the Council, as has happened in many other laws that were intended to benefit a certain group, not necessarily the public interest.

Accordingly, the Team calls for the repeal of this amendment, and believes that the current circumstances require that all decisions and laws be in line with the requirements of the current circumstances, in order to enhance the possibility of facing the financial crisis and strengthen the steadfastness of the Palestinian Authority, and to bridge the trust between citizens and their government.