The position of the Civil Society Team regarding the 2023 Budget:
Devising the idea of a “Supplement to the 2023 Budget” in an attempt to trick the civil society and citizens
In a press release issued in April 3, the Palestinian Council of Ministers (Cabinet) noted that, during Session No. (200), they discussed the Supplement to the 2023 Budget, and that the Budget Law of 2023 had been approved in a previous session and submitted to the President for ratification. The said statement also mentions that the Cabinet adopted this year’s budget as an emergency cash budget to be disbursed according to the available cash flows in the Treasury. This was due to the financial crisis suffered by the Palestinian Authority as a result of Israel’s ongoing deduction of Palestinian clearance funds and a decline in foreign aid.
The Civil Society Team affirms that the Cabinet did not issue any previous statements related to approving the 2023 Budget, and that crafting the idea of a “Supplement to the 2023 Budget” comes in light of the government’s ongoing deferral of financial crises and disregarding monetary obligations stipulated in its agreements with federations, unions, and demand-related movements. This was done “to win time” (so to speak) and wait for new developments that might justify their non-compliance with these agreements.
The creation of a Supplement to the budget comes in light of the government’s continuous disregard for civil society and citizens. In this context, citizens were deluded by the existence of a so-called supplement that indicates the existence of an originally approved budget as stipulated in Article (36) of the Budget Organization Law of 1998 [which states the following]:
“Should there be a need for any amendment on the items of the general budget or addition of items which would result in the addition of new appropriations, they should be prepared as a supplement to the budget and submitted by the Council of Ministers to the Legislative Council for approval and promulgation of the law thereof.”
Therefore, the Civil Society Team believes that there is an utter disregard by the government and a flagrant violation of the Palestinian Basic Law and the 1998 Law for Organizing the General Budget and Financial Affairs. It was also found that, since April of this year [2023], the government continues to disburse funds in an illegal manner. The Civil Society Team does not believe that the 3 April session discussed the Supplement to the Budget but, rather, the Draft Budget of 2023.
Hence, the Civil Society Team concluded that the constant implementation of the crisis management policy of relegating crises (instead of solving them objectively) will deepen the lack of confidence of taxpaying citizens vis-à-vis the political authority. Moreover, it will aggravate crises and problems that are likely to explode in light of the various demands and union strikes which are affecting multiple sectors, including the educational process. The Civil Society Team also affirms the necessity of seriously reforming public fund management in a way that corresponds with citizens’ priorities and achieves social justice for workers.
