The Minister of Finance's answer to importers who raise prices:
As part of Avigdor Lieberman's attempts to ease the cost of living, the Minister instructed the Tax Authority today (Thursday) to increase the ceiling of the amount that will be exempted from customs tax on the import of packages from international websites from 75 dollars to 300 dollars , i.e. four times.
In this way, Israelis will be able to order products from websites around the world without paying additional tax on imports, which currently stands at 17%, similar to VAT.
Lieberman plans that the exemption will only be given to products in centralized markets controlled by exclusive importers, such as toiletry products, dry food and personal hygiene, with the aim of not harming the local industry.
Lieberman mentioned, for example, the field of toiletries, which is controlled by four large companies, which leads to high prices for the consumer.
The Minister of Finance spoke out in the past about the wild profitability of importers and the need to lower prices for consumers.
Minister Lieberman (archive), photo: Mark Israel Salem
We will recall that in recent weeks three large importers of the food and toiletry products, Diplomat, Shastowitz and Kimberly Clark, announced price increases for their products at rates ranging from 6% to 15%.
Even at the beginning of the year, many companies in the economy, including Diplomat and Shatovich, announced price increases, but following an appeal to them by Lieberman and Economy Minister Orna Barbiei, the price increases were frozen.
This time the ministers avoided contacting the companies that announced their intention to raise prices, apparently following the upcoming election period.
We emphasize that Lieberman's initiative requires the approval of the legal advisor to the government, Gali Beharve-Miara, since it is an extension of tax exemption to the public during an election period.
As a reminder, Histadrut chairman Arnon Bar-David called for a consumer boycott of importers Diplomat, Shastovitz and Kimberly Clark in an unusual and firm speech the other day. "The celebration is over.
A company that gets back at the Israelis will have to deal with the consequences of its actions by the consumer boycott that we will impose on it.
I call on the citizens of Israel to stop buying their products, but substitutes.
Buy smart.
I appeal to the committees that these products will not be in the packages, let's buy blue and white.
Stop the bully."
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