A group of prominent and active private sector Palestinian businessmen from the West Bank, Gaza and Jerusalem, made the following recommendations for revitalizing the Palestinian economy late last year:
Normalization of Movement and Access
• Improve movement of goods and people
• Increase VIP permits for investors and businessmen
• Ease restrictions on foreigners’ entry, particularly those of Palestinian origin, to Israel and the Palestinian territories for business-related purposes
• Increase and expedite the process for work permits for Palestinians in Gaza to work in the West Bank
• Advanced scanners for containers at checkpoints
• Accelerate clearance of goods from Israeli ports
• Increase and expedite the number of work permits for Gazans to work in the West Bank
• Improve the transportation between Gaza and the West Bank
Economic Catalysts
• Political Risk Insurance Coverage
• Mortgage Loan Guarantee
• Re-normalization of banking services between Palestinian and Israeli banks with support from the Bank of Israel
• Re-activate industrial zones in the West Bank
• Encourage Arab, U.S. and EU private business partnerships with Palestinians to facilitate exports of Palestinian goods
• Help export agricultural products to the European Union, United States and the Arab world
Infrastructure and Tourism
• Engage in materializing projects, like the RAND ARC Project
• Facilitate interconnection of electricity grid between the West Bank/Gaza and Jordan/Egypt
• Accelerate the development of the offshore gas field in Gaza
• Increase investment and upgrade water projects in the West Bank
• Create a joint Palestinian/ Jordanian/Israeli tourism task force
