Berlin _ Palestine News Network
The German government and the Palestinian Authority´s Ministry of Local government on Wednesday signed an agreement worth 40 million euros for the third phase of a program to develop Palestinian municipalities.
The municipal development programme was designed under the guidance of the Palestinian government, a leading reform and development programme, and the first and second phase was implemented through the Fund for the Development and lending of local bodies.
The agreement was signed by the Palestinian Minister of Local government, head of the local authority development and lending fund, Hussein al-Araj, and the representative of the German Development Bank at the fund´s headquarters in Ramallah, according to a statement issued by the fund.
The agreement is in implementation of a memorandum of understanding signed by the Palestinian Government with international donors to recruit support for the fund.
The municipal development program is one of the most important programs available to translate government laws and strategies through a solid financial support mechanism to support municipalities, the statement quoted Al-Araj as saying.
The programme was aimed at strengthening the institutional capacities of the municipalities of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in order to provide more sustainable and responsible services.
Al-Araj noted that the programme targets all 144 municipalities and provides them with a set of annual performance-based grants and allocations for priority sub-projects to improve municipal finance and planning.
Christian Klags, the representative of Germany to the Palestinian Authority, said improving infrastructure and services is key to improving the lives of citizens.
He said his country has provided nearly 118 million euros through German development agencies in the midst of supporting the fund´s programs.
He predicted that the new cooperation would enhance the ability of local government bodies to provide the Palestinian population with essential basic services in a transparent and responsible manner.
The third phase of the programme is funded by the Palestinian Government, the French Development agency, the Danish Government, the World Bank, German cooperation (Deutsche Bank for Development and the German Agency for Technical Support), the Swiss Agency for Development and the Federation of Dutch Municipalities, The European Union has a total value of €116 million.
