Ibrahim Barham to SadaNews: We discussed urgent priorities for the private sector with the Prime Minister and hope for concrete measures soon

SadaNews - Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa held a meeting yesterday, Tuesday, with representatives from the Coordinating Council of Private Sector Institutions, with the participation of several council members in the Gaza Strip via video, and in the presence of a number of ministers, government officials, and economic experts, during which many important issues were discussed.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister reviewed the impact of the ongoing occupation aggression and its measures, such as withholding clearance funds and deductions from them, as well as the impediments to the movement of goods and individuals and crossings, on our national economy and sectors of employment, taxation, and public finance.

To view the full interview: 

Regarding the meeting, Ibrahim Barham - President of "PalTrade" and Secretary of the Coordinating Council for the Private Sector, said in an interview with SadaNews that "the Prime Minister outlined the steps the government has taken over the past year and his plans for the coming year," stressing that "he is seeking reform measures aimed at improving administrative performance and reducing expenses in some institutions."

He added: "The Prime Minister acknowledged that there have been some performance errors and pointed out certain procedures that have impacted the public budget," emphasizing: "The private sector welcomed the reform steps being taken by the government, but the major economic crisis related to the Israeli occupation remains the dominant issue."

In response to the question of "how can the private and public sectors cooperate to overcome this crisis with minimal losses," he told SadaNews: "We are all, without exception, under attack from the occupation, and therefore, everyone should unite and ignore internal crises. He stressed the need for citizens and the private sector to understand the public sector, and vice versa."