Minister of Finance Ronnie Bar-On launched a scathing attack on his fellow politicians today, accusing them of being impervious to what was going on, of blocking vital programs, and of being swayed by extraneous considerations in dealing with the economy's problems.
Bar-On said that plans vital for the economy were meeting "an impervious political establishment, incapable of seeing beyond its nose or beyond the next election date." The minister was speaking at a seminar organized by the Ministry of Finance Budgets Division. "Everyone knows how to lay blame and come out with declarations when there's a crisis, but when there are successes, everyone will want to get on the bandwagon, until there's no room for those who actually do the work.
"In recent weeks, we at the Finance Ministry have worked as one man, round the clock, to find a response to the crisis and to formulate a stimulus plan, a plan that is so vitally needed. Then its gets stuck in the Knesset Finance Committee because of party primaries and bloated egos. "
According to Bar-On, the plans submitted to the Finance Committee have become hostage to political calculations. "The plan has been before the Finance Committee for four days. Everyone knows why it's so important to submit the plan and approve it before the end of the year. I see how the Budgets Division is working so that the required authorizations will be in the 2008 budget. The politicians have not passed the 2009 budget, and therefore those authorizations are very important."
Budgets Commissioner Ram Belinkov also condemned what he called "perverse and pathetic attacks on the Ministry of Finance." He said the source of the attacks were from "political levels in some government ministries which are abut to be replaced."
Belinkov said he thought a pensions safety net would be a retrograde step from the point of view of social policy, since it would create a situation in which those with more money would receive greater protection, while the poor would receive less protection. "This amounts to subsidy of the rich by the poor," he said.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on December 3, 2008
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