PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY DISBURSES PARTIAL SALARIES

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 002577 SIPDIS SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE; NEA/IPA FOR WILLIAMS/GREENE/WATERS/WAECHTER; NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/LOGERFO; TREASURY FOR NUGENT/ADKINS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/19/2016 TAGS: EFIN ELAB KTFN KWBG SUBJECT: PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY DISBURSES PARTIAL SALARIES IN CASH IN THE WEST BANK REF: A. JERUSALEM 2545 ¶B. JERUSALEM 2245 Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Palestinian dailies reported June 21 that the Palestinian Authority would start paying partial salaries to PA employees in the West Bank through post offices, and that the payment would be NIS 1,350 (USD 304) per employee for those earning NIS 1,500 to 2,500. According to relatives of PA employees contacted by EconSpecialist, post offices were disbursing NIS 1,350 in cash to all PA employees in the West Bank regardless of their salary level but only through the post office in the city where the employee held a bank account. Post offices that normally close at 2:30 pm reportedly stayed open until 6 pm. ¶2. (C) The IMF Resident Representative could not confirm that the disbursements were taking place but did tell EconChief June 21 that the previous payment of salaries to those earning under NIS 1500 (reported reftels A and B) had been paid out only through post offices in Gaza. In the West Bank, that lower salary payment had been only available to those PA employees who had a bank account with the Bank of Palestine or one of the other small banks that disbursed that salary payment. ¶3. (C) According to relatives of PA employees contacted by EconSpecialist, PA employees are not pleased with the small amount of the payment. The PA Employees Union is continuing to call for a full strike Thursday, June 22, by all PA employees with two exceptions. Health care workers will be able to stand at their posts in case of emergency cases and teachers involved with administering the final high school exam (tawjehee) will report for duty as normal. WALLES