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Conclusion of a series of workshops on the participation of marginalized groups in government bids

  • September 1, 2022
  • Rabab Abdo
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The Palestine Public Finance Institute (PFI) has successfully concluded a series of workshops on “The Participation of Marginalized Groups in Government Bids,” with a focus on women-led projects. With over 150 participants, PFI arranged three central workshops in the north, south, and center governorates of the West Bank. These workshops were organized in conjunction with the second cross-sectoral strategic objective of the public finance strategy 2021-2023, which calls for the “creation of a transparent and strong procurement system that contributes to economic and social development,” as well as the government’s discussions on “giving priority to cooperative products in public procurement.” The final workshop was held at PFI’s premises in Ramallah, where all stakeholders involved, including partners, donors, and representatives from the Ministry of Finance, the UNDP, Asala – Palestinian Businesswomen’s Association, and the High Council for Public Procurement Policies participated. Mr. Louay Hanash, Director General of the General Directorate of Customs, Excise, and VAT at MoF, spoke about the new VAT law and its role in streamlining the registration of small businesses, which were previously deemed barriers to their participation in government bids. Mrs. Raja’ Rantisi, Executive Director of the Asala Association, spoke about the importance of these workshops and the necessity to continue working together to support women. In turn, Mr. Fadi Hamad, Public Finance Expert at UNDP (Transparency, Evidence, and Accountability -TEA Programme), indicated that this project would evolve into a program in which efforts will continue to be undertaken on this path and marginalized people will be supported to participate in government bids. It should be noted that the three workshops were delivered by Mr. Nasser Al-Khatib, Director General of the General Directorate of Supplies at MoF, who played a significant role in their success, in addition to the active participation of Ms. Asma Al-Khayat from MoF’s Gender Unit. These workshops offered women-owned businesses the chance to learn about the potential and challenges they may encounter while encouraging them to participate in government bids. Participants actively engaged in the workshops’ discussions, which served as a foundation for future effective participation in government bids. These workshops were implemented with support from the UNDP (Transparency, Evidence, and Accountability -TEA Programme), funded by the British Consulate in Jerusalem.