"In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate”

• We continue to confront the COVID-19 pandemic. Every other day, the number of cases fluctuates up and down. It is striking that some of the cases that have been cured have again tested positive, which is confusing. We follow up on such issues with Palestinian and international experts.
• I assure you that there were no new cases yesterday and today. The total number of cases in Palestine is 495, of which 251 are in the Jerusalem Governorate, the city and the periphery, and 17 are in the Gaza Strip – in addition to several cases among Palestinians in exile.
• We see this virus regenerating itself, but we are still fine, thank God. We have no cases in intensive care. But we do have recovered cases that have again tested positive.
• This crisis still has economic, social, psychological, and security repercussions. It has so far resulted in enormous losses for various sectors such as tourism. The most significant blow hit the treasury of the Authority from which we pay our financial obligations. The local revenues and clearance revenues declined due to the decrease in the total demand and the decline in sales and production sectors.
• The Palestinian budget deficit has become about $1.4 billion (including with the expected donor funds).
• The predictions are close (per international, local, and government reports) regarding the losses of our national economy and GDP, which amounts to 20% until the end of the year, about $ 3.2 billion.
• Accordingly, we have an austere emergency budget. We are spending from achieved revenues/ some borrowing to maintain the status of the health sector, to protect the poor and the unemployed, and to preserve the security situation and the state of emergency.
• This is accompanied by a reduction in expenses as much as possible.
• In order to maintain a consistent pace in our daily life requirements and the health of our citizens, and even during the strict measures of the state of emergency: we continued the opening of several facilities, including grocery stores, pharmacies, and health facilities. Meaning we have kept about 30 thousand economic establishments open (employing more than 100 thousand employees) to reduce the impact on the economic situation and the living conditions of our citizens.
• We allowed work to continue in food and drug factories, etc. while maintaining the pace of the commercial movement between the governorates.
• We also maintained the work pace in the agricultural sector in its usual way as agricultural facilities were excluded from the procedures of closures and movement restrictions.
• Amidst the economic storm, we paid the full salaries from last month to ensure the flow of liquidity in the hands of the employees. The wages of most of the workers were not cut, but others have been severely affected – not everyone.
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• We have kept the budget for social development. This month, we added 11 thousand new families to the list of families that receive government support. To enable more families to withstand the current situation, we will add 9 thousand new families next month. The total number of families receiving financial assistance will reach 125 thousand families, the vast majority of them is in the Gaza Strip.
• Loan installments have been postponed for 4 months to ensure the people’s ability to cope.
• We have kept the banks operating at the pace of the state of emergency to enable merchants to import and to ensure the provision of food/ commercial and industrial transactions.
• There has been some confusion regarding the issue of bounced checks, and the Monetary Authority later addressed this.
• We expanded the circle of facilities to include other economic sectors, especially in governorates that have a small number of affected cases or none.
• We have moved from the situation of quarantine/ movement prevention for everyone to quarantine/ movement prevention of only the infected cases - and protecting those who are vulnerable. We will continue to maintain the safety and health measures in all governorates.
• We have kept the same procedures for places such as universities, schools, and nurseries. It is sad for all of us to close mosques in the holy month and churches during Easter, but your understanding will inevitably ward off all harm. This procedure is applicable in all the countries in the Arab and Islamic world and the whole world.
• The stock market will open on 3/5/2020. We have also allowed the factories to operate with 50% of the workers.
• We established the national fund "Waqfet Ezz" to allow the private sector to express its solidarity and to take part in the responsibility. Everyone should contribute to this fund. The total donations so far have reached $13.6 million, which is a small amount.
• We also established a fund for the unemployed in partnership between the General Federation of Palestinian Trade Unions and the Ministry of Labor. The payments from these funds will be made before the end of Ramadan.
• Under the guidance of H.E. President Mahmoud Abbas, and in consultation and coordination with all related parties, we today announce the allocation of $300 million to support small and medium-sized enterprises that are affected by the crisis. These enterprises will be granted facilitated loans through banks and other financial institutions under the supervision of the Palestine Monetary Authority, which will provide $210 million.
• I call on the landlords of commercial establishments to assume their responsibilities by reducing rents by 30% for the year 2020.
• Tax incentives will be offered to enterprises affected by the crisis, especially those that have maintained the wages of their workers and have not dismissed or harmed any of their other rights. The Ministry of Finance will assess this per nature/size of the damage.
• We call on employers to fulfill their obligations towards their workers for the coming month. On our part, we will provide financial assistance to approximately 40,000 unemployed workers in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
• Regarding the Palestinian workers in Israel, we are still waiting for a joint meeting with the other side to organize the entry, exit and overnight stay of these workers as well as conducting the necessary tests/ checkups for them.
• To encourage small and medium enterprises, the Cabinet decided to allow preference to local products related to curbing the coronavirus, such as medicines, masks, sterilizers, and protective clothing - especially with regards to government purchases as long as they conform to the specifications.
• We will submit a recommendation to the President to exempt all investors from all fees related to companies’ registration and until the end of the year
• We will move forward with the electronic payment program to facilitate the transactions of individuals and increase the production of institutions.
• Many government officials and employees, as well as employees from the private sector and the civil society, have asked us to deduct two working-days from their wages in support our effort in providing salaries, financial needs to the poor and the unemployed, and the fulfillment of heath needs. Accordingly, we will recommend to the President the donation of two business days from all government officials and employees, ambassadors, embassies’ staffs, and from every Palestinian citizen who receives a salary from an official authority.
• We hope that private-sector employees will follow the example of some of their colleagues in banks and other institutions by donating working days as well. We also hope that the trade unions will mobilize their members for this purpose as well. Same goes to civil society organizations, civil sectors, universities, private schools, and everyone who can.
• The government has been fulfilling its duties / assuming its obligations, including with regards to health, security, and financial requirements. For their part: the employees, private sector, workers, and Palestinians in exile, each have borne part of the burden through their donation.
• Currently, we are arranging for the entry of 1,600 citizens that are stuck in Jordan. They will enter in batches through the bridge in coordination with our brothers in Jordan and the other party (Israel) to fulfill all necessary health measures. All of them will be subject to home quarantine under the supervision of the Ministry of Health.
• The offices of the Land Authority and the Land and Water Settlement Commission will open in the unaffected governorates.
• We follow the health status of our people in the occupied city of Jerusalem and the surrounding areas. We realize the increase in the number of cases. Therefore, we confirm our readiness and responsibility towards them; to provide safety procedures, tests, and treatment they need where necessary.
• Under the pretext of payments to families of martyrs and prisoners - two days ago, an Israeli court decided to deduct 450 million NIS from our money - in addition to the deducted 650 million NIS last year. This measure is nothing but theft and real piracy of our money and resources. It puts us in a challenging financial situation and adds to our budget deficit. This means that Israel annually deducts one billion and 130 million NIS from our money.
• We reject this decision. We will file complaints to international courts against this procedure and demand that the Israeli side stop all its measures.
• All the Israeli measures, including the dismissal of signed agreements, piracy of our money, home demolitions, arrests, and the plan of the upcoming government coalition to annex the Palestinian side of the Jordan Valley and to impose sovereignty on the illegal Israeli settlements — all aim at one thing: to hit hard and weaken the Palestinian institutions and to undermine the possibility of a Palestinian state in the future.
• This matter puts us before a fateful decision that we must confront soon. Here, I would like to welcome the European position in rejecting the Israeli annexation plan. Europe's position has always been consistent with international law and relevant United Nations resolutions. In this context, we also welcome the positions of Arab and friendly countries.
• We condemn the Israeli decision to confiscate lands belonging to the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron to utilize them for its Judaization and settlement projects in a direct assault on the exclusive Muslim ownership of the Ibrahimi Mosque and its endowments.
• Finally, I tell you: Ramadan is the month of victories, and our success is your safety. It is hard for us this year as Ramadan arrives when our mosques are without prayers. With your patience, the mosques and churches will soon open and life will return to normal, but we are not yet there. Your awareness as citizens is critical. Use face masks and keep a distance between one another when entering commercial places. The shop owners must organize the entry of their customers. If they don’t comply, their shops will be closed. I ask the shop owners to apply the simple safety measures: face masks, gloves, a distance between one person and another—no movement within the cities and villages after 7:30 pm.
• From our side, we will strictly apply all instructions. Violators expose themselves to the procedures stipulated by the law.
• Movement between governorates is only permitted for a commercial purpose. The opening and closing days are clear. I ask you to abide by them.
• We have provided some facilities assuming that you will adhere to the set health measures on your part.
• Accordingly, I call on the governors and security establishments to fully implement the measures in a manner that guarantees the health safety of citizens.

Thank you. Long Live Palestine.