The National Committee for Jerusalem as the Permanent Capital of Arab Culture

-       I present to you the substance of one of several reports issued by the General Administration for Oversight of "Civil and Security" Rule, as contained in the annual report of the State Audit and Administrative Control Bureau (SAACB) for 2020, where I chose a report on "The National Committee for Jerusalem as the Permanent Capital of Arab Culture"..for review and to take cognizance of the course of transparency and credibility and the levels of assumption of responsibility among officials. And the extent of squandering public funds......in the performance of public work ...in national committees..!

-       The National Committee subdivided its bank account into 6 other accounts..without coordination with the Ministry of Finance, or any justification for that...!

-       The National Committee for Jerusalem as the Permanent Capital of Arab Culture (emanating from the Arab League) did not close any of the advances granted to it since 2011......! until the completion of the audit, where the total cash advances amounted to (719,000 dollars)...!

-       An amount of 7,716 shekels was paid for fuel for the vehicle of the former Deputy Minister of Culture, and it is a private vehicle, not a government one..., contrary to the provisions of Article 2 of Clause 4 of Council of Ministers Decision No. 01/63/13/M W/SF ...for 2010..!

-       An amount of 23,690 dollars was disbursed under travel advance items, of which 13,100 dollars were specifically for the former Deputy Minister of Culture...!

·       The cultural protocol with the Republic of Iraq:

-       Although the National Committee for Jerusalem as the Permanent Capital of Arab Culture proposed the financial appendix to the cultural protocol with the Republic of Iraq in the amount of 835,000 dollars..and it was approved..the National Committee for Jerusalem as the Permanent Capital of Arab Culture..did not adhere to the cultural (twinning) protocol with the "Higher Committee of Baghdad, the Permanent Capital of Arab Culture", as announced, which deprived the State of Palestine and particularly the city of Jerusalem of benefiting from the advantages of this protocol valued at 835,000 dollars, represented by establishing the following:

-       Holding Jerusalem Cultural Days in the declared cultural capital, and celebrating Jerusalem as the Permanent Capital of Culture...and holding artistic performances by Jerusalem school students, specialized creativity courses for Jerusalem school students..and cultural creativity awards for Jerusalem school students..and publishing a periodic cultural magazine issued by the National Committee for Jerusalem as the Permanent Capital of Arab Culture and forming an editorial board for it, and producing a documentary film about the cultural scene of the city of Jerusalem, holding the Jerusalem and Identity conference, establishing a Fund for Jerusalem as the Permanent Capital of Arab Culture, whereby its resources are allocated...from the celebration budget, and from what is collected from projects and donations..and through it cultural institutions and cultural production are supported and the infrastructure in the city of Jerusalem is supported...!

·       Works of the National Committee for Jerusalem as the Permanent Capital of Arab Culture:

-       The works of the National Committee for Jerusalem as the Permanent Capital of Arab Culture, whether the old or the new committee, were limited to expenditures for salaries, travel allowances and bonuses .....As for the substantive matter, represented by celebrating Jerusalem as the Permanent Capital of Arab Culture, and highlighting its cultural and historical status, the committee did not undertake any activity that contributes to achieving its purpose..!

-       After the committee was reconstituted in 2017, the committee did not carry out any activity, and its role was limited to disbursements ....!, using what remained of the Iraqi grant to cover its expenditures of contract employees' salaries and travel allowance...because the Ministry of Finance did not transfer the monthly budget due to the committee's failure to close previous advances...!.

·       Misharif Maqdisiyya magazine:

-       In 2014 the National Committee for Jerusalem as the Permanent Capital of Arab Culture published the magazine "Misharif Maqdisiyya", where the cost of printing the magazine edition amounted to 6,500 shekels...while the bonuses that were paid on it amounted to 9,360 dollars....!

-       Seven issues of the magazine were printed, with total bonuses exceeding 55,000 dollars, which were distributed as follows: 34% to the General Director, 16% to the Editor-in-Chief, 12% to the artistic supervisor, 38% to the writers in the magazine distributed among 35 writers...from across all regions of the Arab homeland..!!

-       The National Committee for Jerusalem as the Permanent Capital of Arab Culture did not distribute the full number of printed copies of the magazine "Misharif Maqdisiyya"..and they remained piled up at the committee's headquarters..!

·      Direct purchase from a company in Jordan:

-       In 2015 the National Committee for Jerusalem purchased a set of gifts worth 38,000 dinars from "Lord for Design" company in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, by direct purchase..however there is no agreement between the two parties, and there is nothing proving that these goods have special specifications..and the committee transferred the amount to the national fund and not to the company directly..and there is nothing proving that the fund paid the amount to the beneficiary..!.Nor is there anything proving that the committee received the goods..and that it also distributed them....!

-       Date: 6-9-2021