More Palestinian reform needed, says World Bank

[oberliner]

JERUSALEM — The Palestinian Authority has taken "significant steps" to improve governance and tackle rampant corruption but must follow through with implementation, the World Bank said on Wednesday.

In a report on the state of economic governance in the West Bank, where the PA is the ruling power, and the Gaza Strip, where Islamist Hamas is in charge, the bank acknowledged the major obstacles faced by the PA.

And it said that while public perception of government corruption remained high, actual experience of corruption was fairly low.

"Major reforms have been carried out, particularly in public finance, and the PA is now able to better manage its public financial systems and equity holdings," World Bank country director Mariam Sherman said in a statement accompanying the report.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i8hu9J2XtaqkWvEk9bp9ujwgbU_g?docId=CNG.9aef0fe0f3c562395d782f7a0bfb3b01.aa1

[azurnoir]

1. World Bank finds 'significant' PA progress, some lags

The World Bank released a report Wednesday, commending the Palestinian Authority for its work in creating strong public institutions, but recommended continued reforms to prevent corruption and better public services.

The report was released as Palestinian officials continue to push a program of state building in conjunction with diplomatic efforts to have a state recognized by the UN in September. In an opinion article in the New York Times on Tuesday, President Mahmoud Abbas noted that Palestine fits the international guidelines for statehood.

In its assessment of the Palestinian Authority government, the World Bank found a handful of issues in the government structure which included management of state land assets, transparency in licensing and business rights, and public access to government information.

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=388571

[oberliner]

2. Same article - same information

What is the point of this post?

[azurnoir]

3. same info but very different and less negative title n/t