The Palestine Monetary Authority and Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate Sign an Agreement for the Implementation of a Training Program for Economic Journalists

The Palestine Monetary Authority (PMA) and the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate (PJS) have signed an agreement for the implementation of a training program for economic journalists. The signing ceremony was held at the PMA headquarters.

The agreement was signed between the PMA Governor, Dr. Firas Melhem, and the head of PJS, Mr. Nasser Abu Bakr, in the presence of the Coordinator of the Palestinian Economic Journalism Network (PEJN), Mr. Ayham Abu Ghosh, and a number of PJS representatives and PMA managers.

In accordance with the agreement, about forty journalists from the West Bank and Gaza Strip will participate in a training program that tackles many financial and banking topics. The outputs of such training program will be a preparation of specialized economic press materials, especially in the banking sector, which will be eligible to compete for the Palestine Award for Economic Journalism for the year 2023.

The PMA Governor congratulated Mr. Nasser Abu Bakr on his re-election as the head of PJS last month. He also thanked the Palestinian journalists and media workers for their courage, and distinguished and pioneering role, professionally and nationally, and especially the PEJN for their valuable initiative and perseverance to raise the level of capabilities of journalists working in the economic sector.

The Governor stressed the significance of media and journalists in raising public awareness of economic issues, as well as explaining and analyzing financial and banking statements. This necessarily requires the development of journalists’ capabilities and skills and the enhancement of the role of economic media, especially in modern and vital topics, such as financial technology and digital transformation. He points out that the PMA attaches great importance to the journalists’ training programs, because many instructions and decisions need to be provided to citizens and society in an objective and simplified way, which will contribute to enhancing stability, financial inclusion, and achieving and supporting the overall development process.

For his part, Mr. Abu Bakr praised the ongoing cooperation between the PJS and the PMA for the development of economic media, pointing out that economic journalism is one of the sectors which needs to be developed as it concerns every citizen’s life, considering that the economy touches the nerve of our lives.

Mr. Abu Bakr explained that the program will be focusing in its training on raising the efficiency of journalists in various areas of the West Bank and Gaza Strip regarding the economic press, especially regarding financial and banking affairs. He also praised the efforts exerted by the PEJN to cooperate with national economic institutions for the development of journalists’ abilities and skills working in the economic journalism field.