Commission supports strengthening of Palestinian statistical system
Chris Patten, European Commissioner for External Relations, has signed a Financing Agreement amounting to 2 million euro to support the Palestinian Authority in strengthening the Palestinian Statistical System. The money will contribute to supporting the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) and will be directed specifically to consolidate the national statistical information system in order to provide data on the Palestinian economy, especially in the fields of price statistics, agriculture, trade, tourism and business. This will allow an increase and improvement in the use of statistics in national policy making, planning, monitoring and good governance, according to the Commission. The project, to be implemented over the course of three years, will cover technical assistance provided by EU experts, as well as the costs of training, seminars and international visits, plus the payment of local costs, including salaries. 'The EU support to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics is fully in line with the Interim Association Agreement on trade and cooperation between the EU and the Palestinian Authority signed on 24 February 1997,' says the Commission. 'In accordance with the development strategy agreed with the Palestinian Authority, the EU aid is primarily directed to infrastructure and natural resources management, institutional capacity building and private sector development.'