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Arafat Pledges to Stamp Out Corruption. Really.
Yasser Arafat's government presented a proposed 2003 budget Tuesday, pledging to stamp out corruption and improve record keeping as urged by the United States and other foreign donors. The $1.3 billion budget forecasts a deficit of $747 million, but Palestinian Finance Minister Salam Fayyad told parliament he expected foreign donations and revenue from unspecified overseas investments to cover the shortfall. Fayyad predicted that the Palestinian gross domestic product would drop seven percent in 2003. It was Fayyad's first budget since he took office in June in a Cabinet reshuffle forced on Arafat after complaints about his inefficient and corrupt administration. Foreign donors, led by Arab states and the European Union, gave the Palestinian Authority about $500 million in 2001, according to official PA figures, but some outside estimates put the total at more than $1 billion. Israel charges that some of the money is funneled to terror groups, and Palestinian officials themselves have admitted that corruption, nepotism and mismanagement are widespread. In his speech Tuesday, Fayyad said he was ending the use of They're gonna have to learn new methods to skim their cash, but it'll be good for them. Keeps 'em sharp, y'know? Posted by: Fred Pruitt 2003-01-01 |
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