According to the 2022 actual spending report for the Ministry of Finance, actual spending earmarked for the Ministry of Education, including Higher Education, was ILS3,475.9 million, of a total ILS16,197.6 million from the overall annual actual spending from the 2022 general budget, or 21.5% of overall expenditures.
According to the Ministry of Finance’s 2021 actual spending report, actual spending earmarked for the Ministry of Education, including Higher Education was ILS3,314.7 million, of a total ILS16,120.3 million of the overall annual actual spending from the 2021 general budget, or 20.6% of overall expenditures.
First: The annual actual spending of the Ministry of Education, including Higher Education was higher in 2022 than actual spending in 2021. However, the increase was minimal, at approximately 5% of the overall amount of ILS161 million.
Second: The rate of actual spending at the Ministry of Education, including Higher Education was higher in 2022 among overall expenditures in general, than in 2021, going from 20.6% to 21.5%. While this is a limited increase, its cash value is indicative.
Third: Actual spending on salaries and wages and social contributions, which are the government’s contribution to the Palestine Pension Fund Authority, at the Ministry of Education including Higher Education, accounted for the lion’s share of the Ministry’s actual spending. The two items combined accounted for 87.5% of actual spending on the education sector in 2022 and 88% in 2021. This can attributed to the number of cadres at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (teachers, lecturers, administrators…).
Fourth: The increase in spending on salaries and wages and therefore, on social contributions, is due to annual periodic administrative raises.
Fifth: Operational expenditures dropped in 2022 to ILS240.6 million, after they were ILS255.4 million in the same period in 2021.
Sixth: Transfer expenditures (including university scholarships) increased in 2022, to ILS15.8 million, after they were ILS13.4 million in the same period in 2021. Seventh: Actual development expenditures were higher in 2022 than they were in 2021, going from ILS128.0 million to ILS177.6 million
Conclusion: It is clear from the analysis of the2021-2022 comparative actual spending report
that actual spending on the Ministry of Education, including Higher Education, increased on most
items, as an actual value and as a percentage of total expenditures in 2022 compared to 2021.
Meanwhile, capital expenditures were very limited and there was a decrease in operational
expenditures, while development expenditures were higher in 2022 than in 2021. This was in
spite of the Ministry’s sizeable actual spending, which was approximately 21.5% of overall
expenditures and which was mainly spent on salaries and wages