Ramallah – Together – Participants in the workshop organized by the Anti-Corruption Commission today, Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at its new headquarters in the city of Al-Bireh, recommended the participation of official representatives from the private sector in its various components with the aim of reviewing the themes of a specialized study prepared by the Commission entitled ‘The Reality of Governance in Quotas and Commodity Lists.’ “, stressed the importance of taking into account the outcomes of this important study, which revealed a set of results, the most prominent of which is that imported goods, under the quota and commodity lists, constitute only a small part, not exceeding 4% of the local market’s need, in addition to not following up on the extent of the commitment of merchants and importers to importing the granted quotas and verifying the prices. Selling imported goods exempt from customs. The study also revealed an absence of justice in the distribution of quantities to importers and a weak com
position of the committee, as its role is limited to the process of distributing quotas only. It also indicated a weakness in coordination between the Ministry of National Economy and the Ministry of Finance with regard to quotas and commodity lists.

The head of the Anti-Corruption Commission, His Excellency Dr. Raed Radwan said that the Commission seeks to involve all Palestinian institutions and individuals in efforts to enhance governance, transparency, integrity, and combat corruption in society, explaining that these studies do not mean at all the presence of suspicions of corruption in the institutions included in the study, but rather aim to strengthen the system of integrity and governance, prevent corruption, and prevent it from occurring. Pointing out that these studies are implemented by the Authority in a participatory approach with all institutions or ministries under study.

He added that the Commission continues its assigned work and efforts to strengthen society’s immunity and make it more im
mune to corruption despite all the difficulties it faces, stressing the importance of unifying all national efforts in order to reach a Palestinian society free of corruption and its suspicions, stressing the Commission’s openness to all matters. Observations that enhance and serve the positive trends for which the study was prepared, in order to serve the promotion of integrity values ??and measures to prevent corruption.

For his part, the academic and economic expert, Dr. Nasr Abdel Karim stressed the importance of this study, which opens a window for conducting other studies, such as the feasibility of granting exemptions under the Investment Encouragement Law, and the necessity of linking the cost of the quota with the economic and social dimensions in a way that achieves justice and benefit for poor and marginalized groups. He also stressed the importance of working to approve the value tax law. Additive and Customs Law. He also stressed the importance of maximizing the social benefit of the quota by gr
anting it to charitable institutions and associations through one of the approved companies.

For his part, the researcher at the Palestinian Economic Policy Research Institute (MAS), Masif Masif, stressed that the adoption of a quota works among countries for economic and social purposes, including supporting and protecting the national product and reducing the prices of imported goods, while stressing the necessity of reviewing the Palestinian quota system and developing it in a way that serves considerations. Palestinian.

The Director of the Corruption Risk Studies and Evaluation Department at the Authority and the main researcher in the study, A. Muhammad Khalifa highlighted its results and recommendations, explaining that the study aimed to reveal the challenges and weaknesses that prevent maximizing the benefit from the quota and commodity lists, and to provide recommendations to address them, explaining that the importance of the study stems from it being one of the tools for strengthening the integri
ty and anti-corruption system, indicating that it relied on an approach Descriptive analysis based on data available from the Ministries of National Economy and Finance and the Central Bureau of Statistics.

The study recommended adhering to the principles of transparency in the work of the Quota Committee, developing an annual plan for the quantities of goods and their import dates, obliging merchants to distinguish imported goods and marking the sheep slaughtered in butcher shops to distinguish them from local and imported sheep with customs duties, setting a price ceiling for goods imported under the quota, and preparing a system for the work of the Quota Committee. In addition, the Quota Committee should include a member representing the private sector, and the Ministry of National Economy should cooperate with the Monetary Authority to propose mechanisms for small and medium enterprises to benefit from the quota, and strict measures should be taken by the Ministry of National Economy to oblige merchants
to import the quantities granted to them and reduce the prices of imported goods under the quota and commodity lists. Activating the coordination mechanism between the Ministry of National Economy and the Ministry of Finance, creating a website for the quota and commodity lists, separating the position of Director General of Trade from the rapporteur of the Quota Committee, and linking the Ministry of National Economy with reports and data related to the quota and imported quantities and computerizing them on the Tawasul program.

During the workshop, which was moderated by the Director General of the General Administration of Integrity and Prevention of Corruption, Mr. Abdullah Alyan, a set of observations and proposals were discussed regarding dealing with the commodity Kuna and how to link them with maximizing the benefit for citizens and poor groups, enhancing the empowerment of our people and protecting the national product, and the necessity of completing additional specialized studies in Serving this t
rend in a way that enhances greater transparency, integrity, and governance to serve our people, achieve justice, and enhance their steadfastness on their land.

Source: Maan News Agency