New report urges PayPal to reconsider non-availability in Palestine

A new report by 7amleh – The Arab Centre for the Advancement of Social Media has analysed “the abstention of the online payment company PayPal and the impact of this stance on the Palestinian economy”.

Published Wednesday, “Palestine and PayPal – Towards Economic Equality”, looks at the “potential opportunities if PayPal provides its services to Palestinian citizens”, and “concludes with a series of recommendations for Palestinian stakeholders and decision makers”.

7amleh’s report stresses “the importance of electronic commerce in general, and PayPal in particular, for Palestinians, given the circumstances of the long-term Israeli occupation.”

“In this climate of restricted movement and trade, the ability to participate in the global information, communications and technology (ICT) sector may enable the growth of the Palestinian economy, improve the quality of life for Palestinians, and create new income and employment opportunities.”

READ: #PayPal4Palestine

The current non-availability of PayPal in Palestine, however, “puts entrepreneurs, startups and freelancers in a vulnerable position”, the report states.

7amleh is calling on “PayPal to reconsider its policies and provide Palestinians an equal access to the global markets”, and recommends “inviting representatives of PayPal to visit Palestine, in order to meet relevant stakeholders”.

The report also recommends “establishing a coordination committee comprising of the Palestinian Authority, the Palestine Monetary Authority, representatives of the private sector and civil society organisations” that can “develop a strong evidence-based appeal to PayPal that proves that Palestine is a safe environment financially”.