Director General of Planning and Policy at the Palestinian Ministry of Economy Osama Nofal on Saturday said that the Palestinian Authority (PA) blocked the entry of thousands of tons of building materials into the Gaza Strip via Rafah crossing.
In an exclusive statement to the PIC Nofal explained that the PA claims that it prevented the entry of these materials because of the lack of readiness by the Rafah crossing administration to examine these items which he denied categorically.
Nofal affirmed that over the past eight years these materials have been brought into Gaza via Rafah crossing as humanitarian aid without being examined noting that Israel bans the entry of these items through Kerem Shalom crossing.
He added that the PA plans to impose taxes on these goods that come as humanitarian aid without any taxes imposed on them.
The Palestinian official stressed that preventing the entry of these materials will deprive the Gazan people from real reconstruction opportunities which are already constrained by international and Israeli restrictions.
Nofal expected that there will be an agreement between the PA and the Gazan merchants that provides for imposing certain taxes on the goods as a condition for their entry which would lead to raising their prices in the local market.
