Four days after the beginning of the month, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced the extension of the compensation outline for businesses throughout the country to December. The minister's decision requires the approval of the Finance Committee. The minister announced this in the Knesset plenum, which convened a short time ago to discuss one of the sections of the proposed war budget law for 2023.
Minister Smotrich: "Already in the coming days we will increase the budget framework in the Knesset - we will pay everything" // Photo: Yoni Rikner
On November 19, the Tax Authority opened the system for submitting online claims for compensation to businesses for indirect damage resulting from an iron sword war. The outline, whose cost is estimated at NIS 15 billion, includes compensation for all sectors of the Israeli economy, including solutions for agriculture, the construction market, small businesses, and large companies in the economy.
False populist campaign
Recall that the initial outline presented drew strong criticism from the business sector and underwent no extensive improvements.
Smotrich called in the Knesset plenum to approve the state budget, saying that "there is an excellent budget here of national and professional responsibility, an expansive policy, and you are small people who are at odds between the ultra-Orthodox and the secular, you are stuck on the sixth of October."
Finance Minister Smotrich in a statement: "We have built a strong economy - we will pay the price of war"
The finance minister added: "This is a false, populist campaign, whoever votes against votes against health and welfare." He added that this is a good budget, and only hatred of the ultra-Orthodox prevents Knesset members from approving it.
"The budget is good and you can't overcome your hatred of the ultra-Orthodox, you gave many times more to the supporters of terror. I take pride in this budget. The Israeli public will see you voting against a good and responsible budget."
"Smotrich's announcement does not express seriousness and responsibility"
Lahav President of the Association of Self-Employed and Business Organizations in Israel, Adv. Roy Cohen, strongly criticized Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's announcement, saying: "Unfortunately, the Finance Minister's announcement on the evening of December 4 does not express seriousness and responsibility towards the self-employed sector and small businesses and comes two weeks later."
Adv. Cohen added: "The Minister of Finance had the ability to bring stability and economic certainty throughout the month of November, and he chose not to do so, and once again he is using a method of pulling from the hip the extension of the compensation outline to the entire country. Even to December, already after the beginning of the month, after harsh criticism was leveled at him."
"Smotrich's announcement does not express seriousness and responsibility." Adv. Roy Cohen (archive), photo: Gideon Markowitz
"It is inconceivable that tens of thousands of businesses in the fields of tourism, culture, restaurants, event halls and transportation have found themselves in the past two weeks facing a broken trough and helplessness because they do not know how to deal with their employees and their fixed expenses. The finance minister needs to understand that business owners are not magicians and they don't have rabbits in their hats, and without help and support, these businesses will collapse."
"The failure to make a decision on time is very outrageous and leaves tens of thousands of businesses in the air, businesses that support families and children, and the Knesset leaves them helpless," he added. "That's not how a finance minister is responsible for proper economic activity."
"I call on the finance minister to convene the socio-economic cabinet, to present an orderly plan for economic activity during wartime, as well as measures to assist in the 2024 budget, and of course to extend the regulations to zones 7 to 40 kilometers to November and December as well, these are combat zones and it is inconceivable that they will live in a cloud of economic uncertainty."
A few weeks ago, the Knesset plenum approved the expanded outline initiated by the Ministry of Finance to respond to businesses for the indirect damage caused to them as a result of the war. The outline includes a business continuity grant for businesses throughout the country, where businesses in frontier communities are entitled to full reimbursement for damage as prescribed by law, as well as a series of leniencies in the unpaid leave outline.
Wrong? We'll fix it! If you find a mistake in the article, please share with us