The Palestinian Contractors Union in the Gaza Strip announced Saturday that it has stepped up its protest steps by boycotting any new tenders in the Gaza Strip and all official, international and civil institutions amid warnings of the collapse of all companies.
"The decision was taken after a lengthy meeting of all the contracting companies after deliberations on the decline of the work of these companies and the circumstances surrounding them and caused the economic decline and the collapse of some of them," the head of the union said.
He pointed out that the companies have waited 12 years to find a solution to ensure payment of their tax return, but no solution was found similar to companies in the West Bank, even exceeded the funds of 60 million dollars. Pointing to the deterioration of the financial situation of the contracting companies in Gaza, which were depleted by wars and siege and the mechanism of reconstruction known as (GRM), which was intended to undermine the engineers and workers and turn them from producers to frustrated and optimistic waiting for the projects of false and humiliating unemployment, which was ostensibly a blessing and in itself a curse. like he said.
He pointed out that the decision of the Ministry of Finance in Ramallah to seal the tax invoices for Gaza contractors from the same ministry in Ramallah, made them pay the tax twice, especially as they pay for the money of Gaza also. Pointing out that this decision was one of the reasons for the deterioration of the financial situation of companies, in addition to the significant decline in the exchange rate of the dollar and euro against the Israeli shekel, without any compensation to us as is happening in the West Bank.
He pointed out that the majority of the companies in Gaza are no longer able to continue their work, after bearing all forms of losses and financial pressures and demanding settlement but to no avail.
He pointed out that after the meeting, it was decided to boycott participation in any new tenders presented in the Gaza governorates from all official, international and civil institutions, noting that work will continue on all projects contracted contractors, especially schools and universities near the beginning of the academic year in order to continue the educational process in line with the interest National High.
He stressed that no tenders submitted by the contractors have been submitted and that they will continue this boycott until they meet their demands, which are the payment of the dues of the Gaza Strip contractors from the tax return, the cancellation of the mechanism for the reconstruction of GRM and not to place it as a condition for participation in tenders. Gaza from Ramallah for projects under implementation, and compensate contractors for the great collapse in the currency of contracts against the shekel (currency).
He pointed out that contractors´ companies understand the difficult circumstances in which the Palestinian National Authority is passing and aware of all the surrounding variables, but it is no longer able to survive without serious action to solve these problems, which all official, international and civil institutions bear full responsibility for.
President Mahmoud Abbas, Prime Minister Dr. Mohamed Ashtayeh, all official national institutions, international institutions and national action groups in Palestine called for immediate action to find solutions and achieve all demands to ensure the continuation of the construction sector and prevent its inevitable collapse.
