Building the Foundations of a Digital Economy, Strengthening Resilience, and Supporting Governance DPG

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The development objectives of the Building the Foundations of a Digital Economy, Strengthening Resilience, and Supporting Governance Development Policy Financing Project in West Bank and Gaza support the Palestinian Authority (PA) in achieving selected strategic priorities envisaged in the National Policy Agenda (NPA) 2017-2022, while also underpinning efforts that the PA has taken to deal with the COVID-19 crisis. The operation includes three pillars: (i) support the digital foundations of the Palestinian economy, (ii) strengthen recovery and resilience post COVID-19; and (iii) improve governance and transparency in the areas of public procurement, wage bill control and the health sector. Under the first pillar, the operation ventures into an area that has not been previously covered and focuses on building the foundations of a digital economy through the adoption of a modern telecoms and information technology law, and the operationalization of e-payment companies. These actions help support a vibrant digital economy that would bring shared prosperity and reduced poverty through inclusive growth and job creation, by boosting the connectivity of the Palestinian territories, notwithstanding the current constraints on the movement of goods and people. Given that the Palestinian territories have been greatly affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, the second pillar supports actions that the PA has adopted to facilitate recovery while also ensure stronger resilience in the face of future pandemics through reforms in the health, social, and water sectors. The third pillar builds upon reforms supported by previous operations, especially in the areas of governance and transparency.