The Governor of Palestine Monetary Authority Meets with the Director of UNRWA Affairs in the West Bank

Ramallah and Al-Bireh – December 2, 2020 - 

His Excellency the Governor of Palestine Monetary Authority, Mr. Azzam Shawwa, met today at the Headquarters of Palestine Monetary Authority with the Director of UNRWA Affairs in the West Bank, Ms. Gwen Lewis, and her delegation. The Executive Director of Palestine Monetary Authority’s Supervision Group Mr. Mohammed Manasra attended the meeting between Mr. Shawwa and Ms. Lewis. 

Mr. Shawwa briefed Ms. Lewis during the meeting about the latest developments in the Palestinian banking sector and the efforts made by Palestine Monetary Authority to address the effects and repercussions of the current economic crisis caused by the outbreak of COVID-19 and the irregular payment of salaries of civil servants. Mr. Shawwa also addressed the most important measures taken by Palestine Monetary Authority to mitigate the impact of this crisis on the affected groups, to encourage banks to direct social responsibility budgets to support efforts to combat COVID-19 pandemic and reduce its spread in Palestine, to provide resources to support the social safety net for people affected by the pandemic, and to provide financing for SMEs and small and micro enterprises that have been economically affected by the pandemic through Istidama (Sustainability) Program, which is implemented through banks and specialized lending institutions.

Ms. Gwen Lewis briefed Mr. Shawwa about the financial difficulties currently facing UNRWA and efforts to secure sufficient financial resources to meet the budget deficit of the UNRWA. The meeting, according to Ms. Lewis is part of a series of meetings held by UNRWA with the official level to keep them updated on the latest financial and service developments of the UNRWA. 

Ms. Lewis thanked Mr. Shawwa and Palestine Monetary Authority for their consistent cooperation with UNRWA and praised the role of Palestine Monetary Authority in maintaining the development and stability of the Palestinian banking sector and keeping pace with the latest global banking developments.