The Minister of Finance announced an assistance program worth about NIS 10 million for the various markets • "A suitable solution is given to everyone"
Finance Minister Israel Katz announced this morning (Friday) that the Ministry of Finance will transfer about NIS 10 million to a program that will allow them to operate again while maintaining the guidelines of the Ministry of Health until the end of the corona crisis.
Reporter: Hayali Yaakovi-Handelsman // Photographer: Shmuel Buharis
According to Katz, the program, which will help finance protected needs for the various markets around the country according to the criteria that will be determined later, said during a tour of the Mahane Yehuda market in Jerusalem that his office intends to "examine the needs closely and provide the appropriate response to each market." The activity of the markets during this period is of great importance. "
The mayor of Jerusalem, Moshe Leon, also joined the tour, saying that the aid would help the market: "Together with the government, we will emerge stronger from the corona crisis and return to a normal life path soon."
Tali Friedman, chairman of the Mahane Yehuda Market Merchants' Committee, was also present at the tour, saying that the local merchants welcome its reopening: "We call on Israeli citizens to come to the markets, buy and enjoy fresh and delicious goods and an amazing and pastoral atmosphere that only the markets can offer."
Simultaneously with Katz's visit to Jerusalem, Health Minister Yuli Edelstein, Minister of Transport Miri Regev and Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Health Prof. Itamar Grotto toured the Rosh HaAyin market.
"The experiment is for ten days, during which we will examine whether all the places meet the guidelines of the Ministry of Health," Edelstein said.
"I hope that this will be the case and that we will be able to keep the places open while maintaining public health."
Regev joined him: "I saw the light in the eyes of the merchants and the joy among the citizens who came to enjoy fresh and quality goods. I was happy to see people wearing masks and keeping the rules. We will continue to keep the guidelines together and open more and more industries."
Earlier today, several malls were opened as part of a pilot of the Ministry of Economy and Industry with the Ministry of Finance, designed to explore the possibility of opening the malls.
At the end of the pilot next Sunday, and depending on its results, the Corona Cabinet will decide and when and in what way all the malls across the country will operate.