Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah and his government were sworn in on Thursday in President Mahmoud Abbas's office in the West Bank city of Ramallah. The 15th government of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) comprises 24 members, of which 7 are newly assigned and the others retain their posts. One of the two deputies is Ziad Abu Amr, a native of the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. Shukri Bshara, a Western-educated economist, was appointed to the new government as Finance Minister, the post that provoked tension between Abbas and his predecessor Salam Fayyad. The new prime minister will focus on boosting the economy.