Director General of Planning and Policies of Gaza’s Ministry of National Economy Osama Nofal said that Gaza’s authorities work to support the local production though giving it the priority at the expense of Palestinian imports. He added that they work to restructure the Palestinian economy during the current period to achieve growth during the coming years.
He added, in an interview with “Arabs Today”, that his ministry plans to increase taxes on the imported commodities that have local alternatives to support the Palestinian production. He signaled that the Palestinian growth rate recorded 2.5 percent during 2016, while the trucks entering the Gaza Strip increased to over 70 thousand.
He added, in a statement to "Arabs Today", that the Gaza's imports from Egypt could reach to $ one billion calling the Egyptian authorities for increasing the days of Rafah Crossing opening to undermine the siege imposed on Gaza by the Israeli government.
He expressed his government's readiness to receive the Egyptian commodities and to establish a free trade zone between Egypt and the Palestinian territories if the Egyptian authorities decided to allow the commodities pass to the strip.
He revealed that Gaza's government allocated four thousand meters to receive the commodities coming from Egypt saying that the area would be automatically developed with the increase of trade exchange.
He blamed the Israeli policies for pushing many economic institutions to reduce their activities, saying that Gaza’s authorities work to supervise the work in the Kerem Shalom crossing through inspection and to analyze the foodstuffs entering the Gaza Strip.
He added that Gaza's authorities are keen not to allow the imported commodities enter the market without inspecting them to ensure their safety, saying that such a measure aims to protect the consumers.