Large fall in donor countries' commitments toward Palestinian Authority

Mohammed Ashtia, the general manager of the Palestinian economic council for development and construction, said the current year is witnessing a large drop in the funds flowing from the donor countries to the Palestinian National Authority from levels over the last five years.

Mohammed Ashtia said, "This retreat started since last year, as only $300 million arrived from the donor countries out of $800 million these countries undertook to pay, which affects implementation of development projects." He added that this retreat continued during the current year.

Ashtia related the retreat of the donor countries in paying the commitments to the Palestinian government to the former Israeli government's freezing the peace process, in addition to the trend of the European states -- which provide more than half of the financial aid -- to direct a large part of their aid to reconstructing Kosovo.

Ashtia expressed his hope that efforts to push forward the peace process will lead to the flow of aid from the donor countries so the Palestinian government can continue the plan to reform the infrastructure and establish development projects.