"Empowerment" Confirms the Safety of Procedures for the Unified National Protection and Care Program and Enhances the Integrity and Governance System

SadaNews Economy - The Palestinian National Economic Empowerment Institution (PNEEI) announced the completion of the independent external review of the Unified National Protection and Care Program, conducted by Alvarez & Marsal (A&M), confirming that the results proved the integrity of the procedures and systems adopted in the program, and their compliance with the provisions of Law No. (4) of 2025, thus reinforcing the principles of transparency, governance, and accountability, and ensuring that aid reaches those entitled to it according to professional and objective criteria.

The institution explained in a statement issued today, Friday, that the review came as part of its commitment to enhance integrity and protect public resources, and to verify the sound transfer of the program's management responsibility to it according to the approved legal and regulatory frameworks. It indicated that Alvarez & Marsal (A&M), specialized in independent reviews and system evaluation and governance enhancement, carried out a comprehensive review of the various components of the program.

It added that the review work included assessing the technical infrastructure of the system, the integrity of data transfer, eligibility assessment mechanisms, aid calculation methodology, disbursement procedures, and financial and administrative controls, in addition to reviewing the institutional separation between the Unified National Protection and Care Program and other programs.

According to the statement, the review results confirmed the success of transferring and matching the data of families and individuals benefiting from the Ministry of Social Development to the institution, without recording any substantial discrepancies or contradictions in the audited records.

The review also indicated that the eligibility criteria are strictly based on poverty indicators and social and geographical criteria through the material poverty equation (PMTF), and that eligibility assessment is based on the level of economic and social need of families, without any variables in the equations for calculating the degree of poverty or the value of allowances related to martyrs, detainees, prisoners, or wounded individuals.

The review results showed that the program's database does not contain any fields or indicators for classifying beneficiaries outside the poverty criteria, and that the system design adheres to unified and transparent standards for identifying beneficiaries.

It also asserted that the amounts of cash aid subjected to auditing were calculated according to the approved equations, matching the disbursement files transferred to financial entities and cash service providers, after verifying that the disbursement files were consistent with the accounting data and financial records.

The statement noted that the review demonstrated a clear institutional separation between the Unified National Protection and Care Program and previous systems related to other allowances, enhancing the clarity of roles and responsibilities and reinforcing principles of governance and transparency.

The review confirmed the absence of any indicators of fraud, manipulation, or substantial errors in the program system or in the eligibility assessment and aid disbursement procedures included in the audit.

The institution stressed that the review results represent an important milestone in developing the social protection system, indicating that it will continue to implement the recommendations included in the report, which include developing electronic linkage systems and information exchange with government entities, enhancing automatic data synchronization, developing a risk management and internal control framework, and strengthening independent follow-up procedures and continuous documentation of disbursement processes.

It emphasized that the Unified National Protection and Care Program represents a vital national tool to support the most needy Palestinian families, and that its development is based on principles of justice, transparency, and efficiency, ensuring that aid reaches those entitled to it according to professional and objective criteria.

The institution appreciated the efforts of national entities and partners who contributed to completing the review, and the professional role played by Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) in carrying out an independent and comprehensive review according to international standards and practices, confirming its ongoing work to instill principles of integrity and accountability, enhance public trust, and develop the economic empowerment and social protection system to serve national development goals.