Recent claims by Palestinian Authority officials that there is a financial crisis contradict data published by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. Figures published by the PCBS show that the Ramallah authority’s income exceeded expenditure in 2011.
The statistics revealed that the Palestinian government of Mahmoud Abbas spent just over $3.4 billion in 2011, of which 92.7 per cent related to central government expenses, mainly salaries for civil servants and security personnel. Income for the year stood at almost $3.5 billion.
According to the PCBS, therefore, the Palestinian Authority’s net operating balance, calculated by subtracting the total expenses from the total revenue, amounted to $57.5 million in 2011.