Palestine Economy Improving

After two years of sharp decline, the Palestinian industrial production index recorded a small gain in 2016, al-monitor reported. According to the Feb. 5 report of the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the index for industrial production rose 0.96% in 2016, after witnessing a drop of 3.9% in 2014 and 3.8% in 2015. In December 2016, industrial production in Palestine increased by 4.9% compared with the same month in 2015. It was the highest growth registered since April 2016. The report said that the increases occurred in the areas of water supply products and recycling, up by 15.8%. Stone quarries were up 13.1%, while electric supplies and air-conditioning products were down 26.3% in 2016 compared with the previous year.