Employee Salaries in the Security Sector in Palestine

The State Audit and Administrative Control Bureau (SAACB) conducted an audit of employee salaries in the security sector in the State of Palestine for 2019, and an audit of employee records in the Regulation and Administration Commission, and the most significant material observations were as follows:

The absence of approved organizational structures within the security apparatuses and the absence of job descriptions and specifications for job titles and supervisory positions within the security apparatuses, which led to an increase in the number of officer ranks within the security apparatuses.

The executive regulation of the Service Law in the Security Forces has not been issued, which should include the values of social allowances for military employees, and instead the executive regulation of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) is being applied.

Promotions are approved according to the principle of merit, rather than according to the principle of a vacant post, when promoting military employees in the security sector; after the minimum number of years to remain in a rank has elapsed, the employee is promoted, contrary to the provisions of Article 32 of the Service Law in the Security Forces.

The number of expected promotions during 2018 was not clearly and explicitly specified in the 2018 General Budget Law.

There is a discrepancy in the payment value of the social allowance for some military employees compared with the amounts applied to all employees.

There is no legal basis to determine the value of the hazard allowance and the leadership allowance; although they are mentioned in the Service Law in the Security Forces, their values are not specified.

Health insurance premiums are deducted from military employees, contrary to the provisions of Article 8, paragraph (a) of Cabinet Decision No. 113 of 2004, concerning the Palestinian Health Insurance System.

There are discrepancies in identity card numbers for a number of employees between the data provided to the Bureau by the Central Financial Administration and the Regulation and Administration Commission.

There are a number of military employees for whom salaries were paid and whose identity numbers were recorded.!

There are differences in the total amount for some military employees between the payroll prepared by the Central Finance Administration and the payrolls at the Ministry of Finance.

Employees in the security sector were appointed before reaching the age of 18.

There are 71 employees who receive salaries at the expense of the security apparatuses and are registered under the Popular Conference for Jerusalem, whereas the Popular Conference is not a security institution among their formations.

There are 112 employees who receive salaries from the Central Finance Administration and are registered at the General Headquarters / Gaza, and are not registered on the registers of the active security apparatuses before the political split.

There are 35 employees who receive salaries from the Central Finance Administration and are registered at the General Headquarters in the northern governorates, while they are not registered on the registers of any of the active security apparatuses.

There are a number of employees under the designation “lump-sum salary” in the records of the Regulation and Administration Commission; they do not hold military job titles and were registered on the rolls of various security apparatuses from a long past period.

In the same context as the Bureau’s report, the Coalition for Integrity and Accountability - AMAN issued a report on the Palestinian security sector budget in 2018, where the report "Coalition for Integrity and Accountability - AMAN) 2019, in the series of reports No. 158" stated that the security sector consists of: the National Security Forces, the Military Intelligence Service, the Presidential Guard, the Internal Security Forces (which include the Police, Preventive Security, and Civil Defense), the General Intelligence, and the supporting bodies (Regulation and Administration Commission, the Supply and Procurement Commission, the Central Military Financial Administration, Medical Services, Political Guidance, and the Military Training Commission).

The security sector budget appears as an independent responsibility center in the annual General Budget Law under the Central Military Financial Administration...

The security sector’s share of expenditures from the current budget in 2018 amounted to 22.7%, reaching 3.475 billion shekels in 2018, of which: 2.900 billion shekels represent salaries and wages, i.e., 83.5% of the security institution’s budget.

The number of military personnel in the Palestinian Security Forces was 65,829 soldiers, according to the figures of the 2018 General Budget, and the report clearly shows an increase in the number of high ranks and a shortage in the number of operational personnel.

The aforementioned report (Coalition for Integrity and Accountability) provided statistics on the numbers of military employees in the National Authority for 2018 by rank: the number of Major Generals in 2018 was 200, while in 2017 the number was 119, and in 2016 the number was 62. As for the rank of Brigadier General, the number of individuals holding the rank of Brigadier General in 2018 was 410, in 2017 it was 407, and in 2016 the number was 517. As for the rank of Colonel, the number of individuals with the rank of Colonel in 2018 was 2,592, in 2017 it was 1,997, and in 2016 it was 1,833. As for the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, the number of holders in 2018 was 4,727, while in 2017 the number was 4,047. As for the rank of Major, the number of holders in 2018 was 6,107, and in 2017 the number was 6,268.

In another report by the Coalition for Integrity and Accountability - AMAN (2019, “The Problem of Rank Distribution among Employees in the Palestinian Security Forces, Ramallah – Palestine”), the report explained that although the Service Law in the security sector was issued, the security apparatuses did not recover from the structural imbalance due to the accumulation of officers in the senior and middle ranks. For example, the number of military employees in the Palestinian Security Forces was about 66,000 soldiers in 2018, whose monthly salaries totaled 242 million shekels per month, of which 153 million shekels were salaries for officers from the rank of Second Lieutenant up to Major General, numbering in 2018 about 31,000 officers, and 90 million shekels were monthly salaries for non-commissioned officers and soldiers numbering about 31,500 individuals. Thus the officers, who constitute 47% of the personnel in the Security Forces, are allocated 63% of the monthly salaries, while the share of salaries for non-commissioned officers and soldiers amounted to 37%... This returns to the distortion in the distribution of military ranks, which was addressed in previous years through various measures such as early retirement, granting incentive bonuses to retirees, and recruiting soldiers who do not hold secondary certificates...!

The latest report of AMAN continues to clarify that regarding the capacity of the State Audit and Administrative Control Bureau (SAACB) to audit expenditure items in the security sector and to verify the validity of procedures under the item of internal missions (petty cash), it remains limited...! This item is exceptionally closed without available invoices, and there is no oversight over unauthorized budgets that the security apparatuses obtain.!

·       On 25-11-2020