The National Authority for Military Retirees in Palestine: Work in 2023

·        The last meeting of the General Council of the Authority was in 2017..! And the legal term (three years) for the work of the Administrative Board ended on 12-5-2019, without renewal or election ..... Why?

·        (Episode No. 18)

·        The State Audit and Administrative Control Bureau (SAACB) conducted an audit of the work of the National Authority for Military Retirees for the year 2023, where the examination included the extent of compliance with the laws and regulations governing the Authority's work, and verifying that the Administrative Board performed its tasks pursuant to Decree-Law No. 77 of 2009, and the extent of its application of governance rules in the Authority's work, and auditing the Authority's financial data for 2023

·        Among the most prominent material observations that the SAACB reported in its above-mentioned report on the Authority’s work for 2023, and which are included in the Bureau’s annual report for 2024, are the following:

1-     There is no database available for military retirees and members, to follow up with them for affiliation, and to know the percentage of those affiliated and those not affiliated with the National Authority

2-     The Public Oversight Committee does not exercise its duties and oversight powers assigned to it, in accordance with the Statute of the National Authority

3-     The National Authority for Military Retirees does not have an organizational structure, nor job descriptions that specify the tasks and responsibilities required of employees, the qualifications necessary to fill the positions, and the authorities for each employee

4-     The General Council of the Authority does not hold regular meetings, as its last meeting was in 2017

5-     The Administrative Board does not supervise revenues, as the financial officer does not record them in the books, follow up on them, or provide reports on their collection or disbursement

6-     The legal term (3 years) for the work of the Administrative Board ended on 12-5-2019, and no decision was made to extend the term for an additional period, or to elect a new Administrative Board

7-     The Authority does not have a special regulation or instructions for determining membership fees by governorates, nor is there a unification of membership fees according to military ranks

8-     Failure to record the membership fees due from non-compliant affiliates as accounts receivable

·        One of the most prominent recommendations that the SAACB made to rectify the observations contained in its report on the Authority is: to commit to depositing all branch revenues in the bank, and not to disburse from the revenue fund directly without first recording them in the bank

·        It is necessary to communicate with the Pension Authority and the Central Military Financial Administration to obtain lists of the names of military employees who were referred to retirement during the previous period, and to contact them in order to attempt to include them in the Authority

·        The General Assembly and the Administrative Board must carry out the tasks and powers assigned to each of them in the statute, to ensure that the National Authority’s work proceeds efficiently and effectively

·        The Council must adhere to the Authority’s Statute, and commit to holding its meetings regularly and periodically, in accordance with the Statute

·        The Administrative Board must supervise revenues, whether at the headquarters or branch revenues, and perform its duties in accordance with the Statute

·        The Authority must hold elections for the Administrative Board, in accordance with the Statute

·        Work on preparing a special regulation or instructions for determining membership fees for the different military ranks.