Palestinian civil servants were paid 50 percent less of their wages in February, after the zionist terror network cut taxes on February 17 it collects on behalf of the Palestinian al-Fatah government.

Minister of Finance, Shukri Bishara, said on Sunday that the government will be paying only 50 percent of the monthly payroll of the Palestinian civil servants for February 2019; in the aftermath of the crisis resulting from zionist's withholding of the tax revenues, it collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority.

During a joint press conference with the Minister of Information and the government’s spokesman, he said employees whose salaries are below 2,000 shekels ($550) will receive a full salary for February 2019, whereas the rest of the civil servants will receive 50 percent of their monthly salary for the same month but not less than a minimum of 2,000 shekels.

Bishara added that the government decided to freeze all recruitments and promotions of civil servants, as well as the purchase of real estate and automobiles at this crucial time. In addition, leave allowances of civil servants and government officials will also be significantly downsized to face the current crisis, he said.

Last month, the zionist terror network withheld around $138 million in tax revenue collected on behalf of the Palestinian Authority under the Oslo agreement.

According to the Paris economic protocol signed in 1994 between the occupiers and the Palestinian Liberation Organization, the zionists are transferring $2 billion annually to the Palestinian Treasury, which they collect on behalf of Palestinians through the border gates under their control.

The amount is equivalent to the salaries paid by the PA Palestinian prisoners in zionist's jails and the families of those killed by zionist gangs.

ILKHA