Palestinians pledge to cancel leaked ministerial raises: UN

RAMALLAH AFP JUNE6,2019 - The cash-strapped Palestinian government has pledged to suspend a secret increase in ministerial salaries, the United Nations envoy on the Israelpalestinian conflict said Thursday after reports of the raise sparked anger.

Documents leaked online appeared to show that in 2017, Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas had quietly agreed to increase monthly salaries of ministers from $3,000 to $5,000, as well as boosting the prime minister’s salary from $4,000 to $6,000.

The revelation, by an anonymous online group known as “Against the Current”, came as the Palestinian government faces desperate financial shortfalls. Nickolay Mladenov, United Nations special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, said Thursday he had spoken to recently installed Palestinian prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, who had agreed to cancel the raises.

“At a time when the #Palestinian people are struggling with economic hardship, when salaries were cut in #Gaza, such decisions defy logic and rightly anger people,” Mladenov tweeted.