Statement by the Minister of Finance
26 March 2008
This year, Palestinians will be commemorating 60 years of their displacement and dispossession. It is my hope that we will not have to wait much longer before we are in a position to celebrate the birth of our state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as our capital.
In view of this hope, our government is committed to institutional reforms, capacity building, and transparent and accountable governance. We are working – in the face of considerable adversity – to provide our people with increasing security and prosperity. In the process, we hope to earn the confidence and trust of our people and, together, build a state that we can all be proud of.
As part of this vision, the Ministry of Finance has been working very hard since June 2007 to restore and upgrade our public financial management system. Thanks to the tireless efforts of the Ministry’s staff, the system now measures up to the highest international standards in terms of the system’s integrity, transparency and accountability.
This system has already been certified by international donor institutions. Now, we would like our people to certify it. We will post on this website monthly reports on our financial operations on the 15th of each month. In this way, our people will be able to see in a timely fashion where our revenues come from and how they are spent.
This is a commitment we make on behalf of the Ministry of Finance, on behalf of the Palestinian National Authority and on behalf of, and to, the Palestinian people. It is my sincere hope that this system becomes a permanent feature of PNA public finance practices and that our people demand and expect nothing less of their government.
Salam Fayyad
Minister of Finance
