(New York Times) Steven Erlanger - The respected PA finance minister, Salam Fayyad, resigned Saturday, saying he was considering running in legislative elections on Jan. 25. Fayyad also expressed enormous frustration at the inability of the PA to confront its financial problems. The World Bank recently warned that donor countries might not disburse the next portion of some $350 million a year in aid because the PA had broken its promises not to raise wages beyond its ability to pay, said the bank's director for West Bank and Gaza, Nigel Roberts. After a large increase this summer, the PA's wage bill is now about $1 billion a year - roughly equal to its income.
2005-11-21 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive