Malta helps fund Palestinian public sector

The Maltese government has made an undisclosed contribution to an EU fund of €15.62 million to support the Palestinian public sector.

The fund, known as PEGASE, helps meet the salaries of 78,000 civil servants and pensioners.

The payment is part of the €40 million committed recently by the European Union on top of its Paris pledge for the budget of the Palestinian Authority.

"Without the European Union's ongoing support, it would be difficult for the Palestinian Authority to ensure the timely payment of salaries and pensions," said John Kjaer, the European Commission's representative in Jerusalem.

"Our priority with this kind of short-term assistance is to help ensure the continued delivery of public services to the Palestinian population, not only in the West Bank but also in the Gaza Strip. At the same time, we are providing a lot of support for longer term investment in infrastructure, social services, the judiciary, and many other areas that have a real impact on the daily lives of Palestinians."

PEGASE channels EU assistance to help build a Palestinian State, in accordance with the priorities and needs identified by the Palestinian Authority. Launched by the European Commission on 1 February 2008, it is the main financing mechanism of the European Union, the largest donor to the Palestinians, and is open to contributions from other donors.

Like most EU Member States, Malta pledged to support the Palestinian Authority at a donor conference in Paris in December 2007, which was co-chaired by European Commissioner for External Relations, Benita Ferrero Waldner.

Malta joins a long list of European Union Member States who have provided direct financial support to the Palestinian Authority through PEGASE, including Germany, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.