Last updated: 03/05/2012 // Palestinian Prime Minister and Finance Minister Dr Salam Fayyad and Mrs. Ola Awad the President of the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics signed on Thursday 26. April a Memorandum of Understanding between the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) and the representatives of the Core Funding Group represented by the Representative of Norway to the Palestinian Authority Mr. Hans Jacob Frydenlund and the Representative of Switzerland to the Palestinian Authority, Mr. Roland Steininger. The aim of the MoU is to support the core activities of the PCBS for 2012-2014. Norway will support PCBS with 3 mill. USD and Switzerland will support PCBS with 1,65 mill. USD in this period.
Norway signed the first Programme support agreement with PCBS in 1997. The Core Funding Group has been supporting PCBS with a basket funding for three consecutive Programs, 2003-2005, 2006-2008, and 2009-2011.
The goal of the support is to develop the capacity of PCBS in order to assist it to successfully make an important contribution to the basis on which the Palestinian Authority makes its decision and founds its priorities in order to reach its development goals.
Dr Salam Fayyad thanked Norway and Switzerland for supporting the PCBS adding that Norway will in the coming three years support the PCBS with 3 mill. USD, in addition to around 18 million USD given previously, as well as Switzerland that will in the coming three years will support the PCBS with additional 1,65 million USD in addition to the previous support which had been around 6,5 million USD.
The Prime Minister also thanked the two countries for their continued support to the Palestinian People and the Palestinian Authority which will enable them to carry out their responsibilities and functions to enhance and deepen the readiness for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, and the completion of building their state institutions, including the Central Bureau of Statistics.