The U.S. President's Deal (Trump): Trump Vision 2020

·       Episode No. 19

·       Provisions of the economic framework Part Two of the Deal of the Century (Trump Vision2020)

-        The texts of Section Six of the political framework referred to the economic plan that will enable the Palestinian people to build a prosperous and vibrant Palestinian society, consisting of three initiatives that support the distinct pillars of Palestinian society: the economy, the people, and the government. With the potential to facilitate more than $50 billion in new investments over ten years, the "Peace to Prosperity" track!! ,
these three initiatives are more than just a vision for a promising future for the Palestinian people. They are also the foundation for an actionable plan

·       Chapter One of the economic framework of the Deal

-        The texts said

·        The first initiative in the Peace to Prosperity program - the Trump economic plan -, is directed at the Palestinian economy, which means launching a phase of Palestinian economic development.
The first initiative will create a new foundation for the Palestinian economy, generating rapid economic growth and job creation. This portion of the plan is built on the implementation of four core programs, which work to prepare a business environment that gives investors confidence that their assets will be secure through improved property rights, rule of law, fiscal sustainability, capital markets, and anti-corruption safeguards.

·       Program One : Opening the West Bank and the Gaza Strip to regional and global markets. Implementing this program will reduce constraints on Palestinian economic growth, and major investments in transport and infrastructure in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip will help integrate them with neighboring economies, increasing the competitiveness of Palestinian exports and reducing the frictions of transport and travel. To complete these investments, this program will also support steps to improve Palestinian cooperation with Egypt, Israel, and Jordan, with the aim of reducing regulatory barriers to the movement of Palestinian goods and persons.

·       Program Two: Building the necessary infrastructure that the Palestinian people and their businesses need to prosper, which will support the Palestinian economy. This program will facilitate billions of dollars of investment in the electricity, water, and telecommunications sectors, increasing generation capacity while establishing efficient transmission and distribution networks. The relevant authorities will receive training and assistance to operate this infrastructure and to increase competition

·        Program Three: Will work to accelerate private-sector growth with the potential to reduce unemployment to approximately a single-digit figure, creating more than one million new Palestinian jobs. After adopting core policy reforms and building essential infrastructure, the "Peace to Prosperity" track envisages extraordinary private-sector investments in entrepreneurship, small businesses, tourism, agriculture, housing, manufacturing, and natural resources. The early-stage investment objective will be to remove constraints on growth, targeting key projects that build momentum, generate jobs, and increase GDP. From the father working in his shop to support his family to the young college graduate building her first company, Palestinians working in the private sector will benefit from this program.!!

·        Program Four : Promoting regional development and integration, creating new opportunities for Palestinian businesses, and increasing trade with neighboring countries. This program will strengthen the economies of Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and Lebanon and reduce trade barriers across the region. Increased cooperation among trading partners will support companies in these countries seeking to develop international businesses, especially in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. This program will help the Palestinian private sector take advantage of growth opportunities by improving access to neighboring strong economies.

·       Creating the business environment necessary to promote business growth and investment

-    Reform strategy (core policy reforms and regulatory reforms)
- Property rights, rule of law, fiscal responsibility, independence and capital markets, and anti-corruption safeguards are essential elements in this vision's growth strategy.
- Peace to Prosperity includes these core principles and prioritizes their role in the Palestinian people's journey toward sustained economic success. Advancing these core policy and regulatory reforms, along with business support and technical assistance, will create the business environment necessary to drive an economic transformation that can benefit future generations. Below are projects for the core reforms: (14 projects totaling $445 million in the first phase, while in the second phase there is one project of $30 million in grants + $475 million grant.).

·        Human Capital:

-         This program sets a strategy to train, develop, and employ the next generation of Palestinian entrepreneurs and leaders, both men and women. It builds the human capital base for the Palestinian economy and prioritizes investment in technical and vocational education; STEM programs; and workforce development training to better prepare Palestinians for today's jobs and tomorrow's economy. Companies will have greater confidence that Palestinians will possess the skills needed for the jobs they seek to create, which will lead to a virtuous cycle of new investments and

-         And to scale existing operations. (17 projects totaling $710 million in the first phase .. and $150 million private capital, while the second phase was $390 million in grants + $250 million in loans, of which the new university is an amount over 5 years)

·       Entrepreneurs and Innovation:

-        Entrepreneurship, innovation, and private-sector growth are the cornerstones of vibrant economies. The recent success of Palestinian start-ups demonstrates that Palestinian entrepreneurs have a remarkable ability to build innovative companies and create value. To capitalize on their momentum, an institutional growth framework must be adopted to put more Palestinian entrepreneurs and companies on a path to success. The incubator ecosystem in neighboring countries remains underutilized by the Palestinian people, and Palestinians around the world offer a pool of talent that can support a strong local start-up culture. This program will support emerging Palestinian start-ups by helping Palestinian entrepreneurs overcome growth barriers and exploit the resource constraints they face today. By partnering with growing Palestinian and international venture capital firms, this project will spur regional collaboration and investment in promising Palestinian start-ups. Alongside other investments in education and digital services, this program will help empower the next generation of Palestinian entrepreneurs to innovate and build their successful companies, creating a successful entrepreneurial environment in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. (3 projects totaling $110 million in the first phase and $300 million in loans..= $410 million)

- Palestinian micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), which today employ the majority of the Palestinian workforce, are critical to the success of the Palestinian economy. A thriving domestic private sector in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip will require access to credit and reforms to the fundamental laws, rules, policies, and regulations that create barriers to business and hinder private-sector growth. Peace to Prosperity will ensure that all Palestinians — not only the wealthy and well-connected — share in the benefits of peace. A strong local private sector will create good, high-quality-paying jobs for working Palestinians and is ultimately the primary engine of prosperity. To strengthen the job-creation environment for the working class, this program will encourage Palestinians to build a new business framework that includes all the essential elements of a thriving private sector and promotes the growth of small and medium enterprises. This program will support loans to small businesses in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip to ensure these firms have access to the capital needed to reinvest in their operations and grow their firms. Supporting small and medium enterprises will spur the growth of local firms that can serve as partners to large international companies seeking to do business or make foreign direct investment. Prioritizing the establishment of a growth-friendly policy framework will end the vicious cycle of poverty afflicting the Palestinian people and begin the transition toward sustainable development and prosperity. ("medium and small businesses" 5 projects totaling $650 million of which $180 million grant + $470 million loans

- Opening the West Bank and the Gaza Strip to regional and global markets
Roads and railways: The Palestinian people routinely face logistical challenges in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip that impede travel, stall economic growth, reduce exports, and halt foreign direct investment. Peace to Prosperity represents an opportunity to physically integrate the Palestinian community through a modern, efficient transportation network. This project will support the construction of roads across the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The additional investment will finance development of a transportation corridor linking the West Bank and Gaza directly via a main road, and possibly a modern railway line. These improvements will reduce travel complexities for Palestinians and remove obstacles that delay or prevent goods from reaching final markets by directly connecting population centers and easing barriers to movement.

- Projects include a first phase of $252 million as grants, over 2-4 years, a second phase of $200 million grants over 7 years, and a third phase of $5,200 million over 7-8 years including $3,750 million loans + $200 million grants, and $1,250 million from investors)

· Border Crossings:

- To sustain economic growth, Palestinian goods and people must be able to move easily and securely across borders. This project will provide financial and technical assistance to build the capacity of immigration and customs officials to operate and manage crossing points in coordination with neighboring states. The project will also upgrade facilities at major crossing points along the borders and create new entry points. Developed or newly constructed stations will be equipped with the latest border-crossing technology, and older stations will be renovated and improved with amenities for travelers to use while in transit. Ultimately, this project has the potential to unleash unprecedented levels of trade, expand exports, and increase foreign direct investment in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and their neighbors, particularly Egypt, Israel, and Jordan. (4 projects totaling $910 million in grants: first phase $260 million + second phase $300 million over 6 years, and $350 million over 10 years)

- Summary of projects: New cargo stations, private access roads, and other infrastructure at major crossing points will be built. These funds will also support capacity-building programs to train Palestinian officials on best practices and finance the deployment of new systems and technologies. These investments will reduce wait times and improve inbound and outbound service at crossing points. The project will provide hundreds of direct construction and border-management jobs, and thousands of jobs in the Palestinian economy by reducing the costs of trade and travel

- Sunday, 16-2-2020