RAMALLAH (Ma’an) – The Palestinian Authority’s ministry of finance will pay civil servants half of their monthly salary by Wednesday, minister of finance Nabil Qassis announced on Sunday evening.

The minister said in a press statement that governmental employees will receive a minimum of 2,000 shekels ($500) of their monthly salary for August. 

This means that about 35 percent of civil servants will be paid full salaries, while the remainder will be paid shortly, he explained. 

PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said Sunday that paying overdue salaries was the government's top priority as they would give a push to the whole economy.

"This will not just benefit employees, but the economy in general as over a million citizens rely on these pay-checks and their salaries pay into the entire economic system," he said.

Salaries have been delayed several times in the past year, with the West Bank government citing the failure of donor funds to arrive.