RAMALLAH – The Palestinian government Sunday paid its 147,000 civil and military employees partial December salaries after a $100 million fund from Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah was channeled to its treasury. “The Palestinian Authority (PA) was able to pay partial salaries thanks to Saudi Arabia's decision to channel $100 million to the Palestinian treasury,” said Palestinian Finance Minister Nabil Qassis. He said that approximately 22 percent of government employees received their full salaries and the rest were paid between 50 and 90 percent. The employees also received half salaries for November. Qassis said that the outstanding money would be paid when the promised funds from other Arab countries arrive. He said that the Palestinian government needs $150 million monthly to pay the salaries of its employees. Employees have not been paid full salaries since almost three months. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Wednesday received a phone call from Saudi Finance Minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf who informed him that King Abdullah has decided to channel a fund of $100 million. The severe financial crisis has intensified in the wake of Israel's decision to withhold 450 million Israeli shekel (some $120 million) of tax revenue collected on behalf of the Palestinians. Meanwhile, Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs Riad Al-Malki said that Abbas will raise the issue of financial crisis at the Riyadh Arab Economic, Social and Development Summit. Palestinian officials, including Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, had said that many Arab countries had failed to fulfill their promise to give the Palestinians $100 million per month in “financial safety net.” The Arab League foreign ministers decided last week to dispatch a delegation to the region to raise the funds.
