Minister of Finance Ronnie Bar-On has criticized Likud chairman MK Benjamin Netanyahu following the latter's disclosure of his vision for a green economy and an annual growth target of 8%. "8% is a realistic annual growth target in China," said Bar-On cynically. "Netanyahu is currently a former finance minister and the Likud will have to wait until it returns to power before it can realize his vision. Perhaps by then we'll understand he intends to go about this."
Bar-On added that in recent times Netanyahu had developed an interesting habit of responding late to every action the government takes. "A month ago, he talked about growth through education, just two months after we announced educational reform. We've been talking about a green economy for some time, and now Netanyahu has also joined the trend," he said.
Bar-On, who is in Washington to attend the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank, met yesterday with OECD secretary Angel Gurria, with whom he discussed shortening the timetable for Israel's accession to the organization. The Ministry of Finance believes that the timetable will be shortened, and that Israel will be admitted to the OECD within one to two years. Bar-On estimates that Israel will receive the road map for its admission in the near future. Gurria is due to visit Israel at the beginning of next month to speak at the Prime Minister's Conference for Export & International Cooperation.
Bar-On also met yesterday with incoming IMF managing director Dominique Strauss-Kahn. Their conversation focused primarily on the economic aspects of Israel's relationship with the Palestinian Authority. Afterward, Bar-On said that, "My impression is that we have a friend at the IMF." He also met with the finance ministers of Chile, Sweden, Portugal, and the Netherlands, as well as IMF first deputy managing director John Lipsky.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on October 22, 2007
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