PA cuts 80% of tax on fuel for Gaza’s electricity plant

The Works and Housing Minister at the Palestinian Authority, Mofeed Al-Hasayneh, has announced that the ministerial council in Ramallah has agreed to cut 80 per cent of the tax on fuel for the Gaza Strip’s sole remaining electricity plant, QudsNet reported on Wednesday. Al-Hasayneh noted that the decision to cut the tax was taken during the council’s weekly meeting on Tuesday.

As a direct result, the Electricity Company in Gaza announced that it would operate another generator from Thursday evening. This means that it will be able to supply electricity for eight hours a day instead of six as at present.

The company also called for a permanent solution to the imposition of this tax. The PA levies it on the fuel destined for the electricity plant at a time when the residents of Gaza can hardly pay for the electricity they use due to high unemployment and rising poverty.