Contractors head: 0% VAT - It's now or never

Nissim Bublil
Nissim Bublil

Nissim Bublil: The prime minister told the cabinet to take care of the housing crisis, but they failed.

"We've been waiting for 0% VAT for five months now, and the uncertainty is damaging the Israeli economy," Israel Builders Association president Nissim Bublil said at a press conference this morning. "I call on Minister of Finance Yair Lapid: If you think you can pass the bill, do it now, otherwise, forget about it immediately." He added, "Let Lapid admit he tried and didn't succeed, and restore certainty to the economy, so that Israelis can plan ahead. If this uncertainty continues, things will only get worse. An apartment is getting further out of reach for Israelis. For example, in the 1990s, we built over 80,000 housing units within a short time. The time necessary now is double, and the quantity of apartments has been halved."

Bublil also addressed the economic situation in Israel, saying, "The economy has experienced a drop in exports and a crisis in tourism and construction over the past two months. Recent months have paralyzed the Israeli economy's growth engines, and on top of that, we have the war. We all know that the prime minister has capabilities in economics, but every minister also has something to say about it for political reasons, so if the prime minister doesn't take up the economic conductor's baton, the economy will stray onto a dangerous road. It must be understood that there is no strong defense without a strong economy."

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on August 27, 2014

© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2014

Nissim Bublil
Nissim Bublil
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