June also witnessed the signing of several developmental agreements with Germany and Italy, and the opening of a Belgian commercial representative office in Ramallah. On 9 June, the Government of Germany signed a €10m agreement with the PNA to support the health sector.12 The project, implemented by UNDP, aims at strengthening the Palestinian COVID-19 vaccination efforts and the health system’s capacity to maintain and improve essential healthcare services, especially in marginalized areas. Activities include deploying more health personnel, supporting mobile health clinics to provide healthcare services to marginalized communities, and procuring and delivering critical medical equipment and supplies to health facilities. In addition, the funds will be used to explore sustainability models and develop knowledge products that can help inform future policies and strengthen the health sector.On 14 June, the Palestinian Prime Minister, Mohammed Shtayyeh, met with the Italian Prime Minister, Mario Draghi,13 and signed six agreements worth €17m on issues related to health, tourism, employment, statistics, and private sector development. 1. Strengthening specialised services for the clinical management of rare blood diseases in Palestine, worth €2m. 2. Enhancement of specialist surgical services for paediatrics at Halhul Hospital, worth €3.8m over a period of 3 years. 3. Conservation and management of the Tel Al-Sultan (Old Jericho) project, worth €2.4m over three years. 4. Support for conducting the national agricultural census (€400,000). 5. A €5m loan for the Palestinian public bank (Independence Bank, currently under establishment). The zero interest loan matures in ten years and has a grace period of eight years during which the Bank does not have to make any payments toward the loan. 6. Support the Palestinian Employment Fund with €3m over three years to enhance the skills of unemployed youth through Continuing Vocational Education and Training (CVET) and to offer grants for creating new businesses. On 21 June, the Palestinian Minister of National Economy Khaled al Oseili met with the Belgian Secretary of State in charge of Foreign Trade to discuss areas of economic cooperation and mechanisms to increase the volume of bilateral trade between the two countries.14 Following the meeting, on 23 June, Enabel – Belgian development agency opened hub. Brussels in Ramallah, a commercial representative office to consolidate cooperation relations and establish partnerships between businesspersons in both countries, and to explore investment opportunities in various economic sectors.15 It aims to improve and intensify direct trade relations between Belgium and Palestine, and to strengthen the possibilities for development cooperation.  (ICE AMMAN)

Fonte notizia: PALESTINE ECONOMIC NEWS