The Knesset's Economic Committee, chaired by MK David Bitan, held a follow-up meeting today (Sunday) regarding the handling of small businesses of male and female reserve servants.
Economy and Industry Coordinator in the Budget Division at the Treasury, Gal Burns, stated at the meeting that the two main aid tools are the grants, which were supposed to return the business to a state as if it had not been damaged, and the loan fund under preferential terms.
The representative of the Agency for Small and Medium Businesses at the Ministry of Economy, Tamar Mirsky, stated that the agency helps business owners submit the forms for assistance to the state-guaranteed loan fund, and allows 10 hours of consultation.
Reservists with businesses in the Economic Committee, photo: Yonatan Zindel/Flash90
Where's the money?
The President of Israel, Attorney Roy Cohen, said that there are about 35,000 businesses where reservists with 1 to 4 employees have not received any response.
Ido Tobiana, a reservist who owns a business, said that three months have passed since he submitted an application and he has not received a shekel.
"When an anti-tank gun is fired at you, you cannot fill out forms.
I have been in the reserves since October 7th and some of my managers are also in the reserves, I pay everything and I have not received a shekel.
This is the gap of bankruptcy," he said.
Lt. Col. Ziv Barak, who also serves in the reserves, said that the aid does not compensate him for excess expenses such as overtime and bonuses that he pays to employees in order to preserve the business. During the discussion, it emerged that part of the problem stems from a procedure that the Ministry of Defense is slow to approve, which is intended to adapt the aid to the business of a reserve officer as for the assistance of a business in the combat zones, and Chairman Bitan demanded that it be prepared within a week.
The whole family is mobilized
The former chief reserve officer, Hosea Friedman, said that "this story needs to end with a victory not in battle, but with the trust of the reservists in us. Helping women is very important, because the whole family enlists in the reserves. We must win over the issue of the spouses, everyone is always in favor, but the problem It is that the pipeline for the distribution of these things is terribly abrasive and difficult, and therefore a distrust of the system is created. It needs to be easier and simpler and there should be someone to perfect it. An Exceptions Committee is a really good idea in my opinion," he said.
Sagit Bachner, one of the leaders of the Reserve Women's Forum, said that there are 17,200 spouses of reserve servicemen who own businesses, who are affected because they cannot go to work.
According to her, 36% testified that there was a decrease in their business income.
"33% of the reserve women's businesses are about to close - who will take care of us in the next war when our business is gone?" asked Bachner.
Ayelet Angel, a driving instructor, said that she has 8 children and there is no one to replace her in the business.
Malka Ehrlich added that she can't handle the load and can't accept more customers because there is no one to take care of her children.
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