The Dutch government recently gave some $11.4 million to Palestine Liberation Organization Chairman Yasser Arafat to build a harbor in the Gaza Strip.
However, the mayor-designate of Gaza says this may not be the best use for the funds.
In an interview with a Dutch journalist, Mansour a-Shawaa said that once the Palestinian self-rule accord goes into effect, a harbor will not be necessary in the Gaza Strip because exporters will be able to use the Israeli harbors of Ashdod and Haifa as well as the Egyptian harbor of El Arish.
Shawaa said the money would be better spent on other projects, such as the improvement of Gaza’s sewage system.
Using the funds for alternatives may cause problems here, since the Dutch government expected that a Dutch company would build the harbor.
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