CBNNews.com - JERUSALEM, Israel - According to the Israeli Civil Administration, the Palestinian Authority (PA) economy has shown some significant improvement since the beginning of the year.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has removed more than 100 roadblocks and issued additional employment licenses and trade permits to Palestinian businesses, resulting in increased flow of commercial goods to the population.

According to Israeli data, tourism has increased significantly in PA-controlled cities, such as Bethlehem and Jericho.

Palestinian farmers have experienced a 25 percent growth in the produce they're exporting.

Unemployment dropped six percentage points, from 25 percent in 2004 to 19 percent this year.

The IDF's introduction of biometric systems at the checkpoints has facilitated the crossing of more than 500,000 Palestinians in the first six months of this year.

VIP transit passes for Palestinian government officials and businessmen grew to 1,500.

Source: The Jerusalem Post