PNA mulls 20% discount to West Bank energy debts

Ramallah: The unrest over the past month in the West Bank has forced the Palestinian government to consider a proposal of a 20 per cent discount on outstanding electricity debts owed by residents of West Bank cities, towns and villages, a senior government official said.

A Palestinian National Authority (PNA) decision to cancel the energy debts of people in refugee camps angered residents of cities in the West Bank, leading to heavy clashes between Palestinian protesters and the PNA’s security apparatus.

Calm was briefly restored after the government extended the same offer to Palestinians outside refugee camps. However, the decision was soon reversed after complaints from West Bank municipalities.

The municipalities see the settling of the debts as a major income boost to their annual budgets. As a result, the municipalities were reluctant to forfeit the debts unless the government agreed to settle them on behalf of residents.

The mayors of the municipalities have held several meetings with cabinet ministers and informed them of their position.

However, government’s decision to go back on its offer led to further clashes, with hundreds of angry Palestinians taking to the streets, burning tyres, blocking main roads and roundabouts and engaging in running battles with PNA security apparatus.

Nablus governor Jibrin Al Bakri has issued strict instructions to security forces to act firmly against the demonstrators to restore calm. At least 10 demonstrators were arrested in Nablus.

“The Palestinian security apparatus will take unprecedented measures against the demonstrators who destroy public and private properties,” Al Bakri said in an official statement. “Demonstrations do not have anything to do with democracy and freedom of expression and the security apparatus will be tough with demonstrators.”

Palestinian demonstrators threw stones and empty bottles at security forces, who fired into the air and used tear gas to break up the protests.

Ayman Sawaftah, an official at the Independent Commission for Human Rights, said that 42 members of the Palestinian security forces had been wounded and rushed to the hospitals.

He said the demonstrations are expected to spread at an unprecedented pace across West Bank cities as long as the government fails to come up solution that satisfies angry residents.

The government official said that the 20 per cent discount on outstanding debts at the time of total settlement will be the government’s only possible option.

“A 10 per cent will be given as a discount and the other 10 per cent will be settled by the government itself and paid [into] the concerned municipality’s budget,” the official said.

Commenting on those without outstanding debts in a bid to treat every one fairly, the official said they will be granted an additional 10 per cent whenever they charge their prepaid electric meters.

According to the Palestinian government’s agreement, signed by Prime Minister Salam Fayyad with the popular committee of the refugee camps, refugee camp residents will be exempted from paying their outstanding electricity debts owed by December 31, 2012.

Residents of West Bank cities announced that the government’s agreement with refugee camps lacked equality as almost all the Palestinian residents were indebted to municipalities. They said it was not fair to relieve refugee camps of their energy obligations and while leaving the residents of villages and cities without any privileges.