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del.icio.us Digg It!  new Palestinian PM seeks $120m a month from donors By Haaretz Staff and Agencies tags: Palestinians, Fayad, donors  The Palestinian Authority will ask donor nations for budget support of up to $120 million a month, for two to three months, until pledges for a 2008-2010 development plan start coming in, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayad said yesterday. Donor nations will meet in Paris in December to determine the level of support they will lend the Palestinian Authority in the coming years. Fayad, a former finance minister and International Monetary Fund official, said he expects strong financial support for his government. Advertisement Fayad was installed by Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas after Abbas fired a Hamas-led government in response to Hamas' forcible takeover of the Gaza Strip in June. With a moderate government in place in the West Bank, Israel resumed the transfer of tens of millions of dollars a month in tax rebates to the Palestinian Authority. These funds were key in helping Fayad meet the government payroll for 175,000 employees. Fayad said Israel will have paid all of the withheld funds by December, and that the Palestinian Authority would ask donor countries to contribute about $120 million a month, for two to three months, to the Palestinian budget. "All indications show that the Paris conference will be a success, in terms of support for our development plan for the years 2008-2010, and we will need to cover [our expenses] for two to three months until this plan starts producing," he said. "There are good signs from the donors that this period will be covered." The head of the Palestinian Authority's central bank, George Abed, has tendered his resignation to Abbas, a PA aide said yesterday. The aide, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Abbas was likely to accept Abed's request to step down as governor of the Palestine Monetary Authority (PMA) due to his "personal circumstances." Several PMA sources confirmed that Abed, a former senior official at the International Monetary Fund, has told staff he was resigning after two and a half years in the post. Private banking sources said they believed that personal rather than policy reasons were the main motivation for the governor leaving. There was no immediate word on a successor. The aide said: "Dr. George Abed has informed the president of his resignation. So far, there has been no official response from the president." He described the departure of Abed, who is credited with substantial reforms of the PMA, as a loss to the Palestinian people but believed the president would accept the request. Western officials have credited the PMA with reforming the banking system and implementing international rules, including pressuring Palestinian banks to sever ties with militant groups. The institution is mandated to manage a Palestinian currency once a state is established. Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza now use Israeli shekels, U.S. dollars and Jordanian dinars. Bookmark to del.icio.us Academic freedom The High Court has challenged strict IDF criteria for the entry of Palestinian students. Rapping rabbi British Jewish rapper MC Rebbe is a finalist in the world's largest blog competition.

Today Online Court challenges criteria for Palestinian student entry to Israel Responses: 115 Turkey seeks right to build monument in Jerusalem's Old City Responses: 142 IAF strikes kill four Palestinians after Qassams hit Negev Responses: 236 Leftists scuffle with supporters of Rabin's assassin outside jail Responses: 118 Olmert: Core issues are on the agenda for Annapolis summit Responses: 202 More Headlines 23:51 Olmert: Core issues are on the Annapolis agenda 20:12 Three East J'lem men arrested for planning attacks in Israel 18:47 IDF strikes kill 4 Gazans as Qassam volleys hit Negev 01:37 Beitar J'lem soccer fans boo Rabin before draw with Maccabi Haifa 20:49 Gov't okays payments for overlooked Holocaust survivors 17:51 Protesters scuffle with supporters of Rabin's assassin outside jail 20:39 Palestinian factions DFLP, PFLP attempt to mediate between Hamas, Fatah 19:35 'Rapping rabbi' makes finals in world's largest blog competition 19:11 PA awards former Mideast envoys Wolfensohn, Hansen prize for excellence 16:57 Egypt unveils King Tut's mummy to the public for the first time Previous Editions Select Day 04 nov 02 nov 01 nov 31 oct 30 oct 29 oct 28 oct 26 oct 25 oct 24 oct 23 oct 22 oct

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