Minister of Finance Yair Lapid yesterday decided to appoint Amir Levy, who has served as CEO of Shikun & Binui Renewable Energy since 2006, as the new budget director at the Ministry of Finance.
Levy (43) will succeed Budget Director Gal Hershkowitz. In 1996-2006, Levy held a number of positions at the Ministry of Finance. His last and most senior post was deputy budget director for such complex sectors as energy, water, communications, industry, and tourism - one of the most sought-after deputy positions in the department.
Levy met Lapid after the finance minister received a reference on him from the Ministry of Finance's powerful director general, Yael Andoran. However, Levy is not part of the Andoran clique, and it cannot be ruled out that she would have preferred her own candidate, Postal Bank CEO Yoel Naveh, as budget director.
Ministry of Finance sources said that, in recent weeks, Andoran has basically operated as budget director, even though Hershkowitz only intends to leave the ministry after the Knesset passes the budget at the end of July.
The Ministry of Finance said that Andoran welcomed Levy's appointment.
Sources inform ''Globes'' that Lapid met Naveh, but decided not to appoint him. Lapid initiated the appointment of Levy immediately after meeting him, even though he had planned to meet other candidates.
Levy has two main challenges: to implement one of the most difficult budgets since the 1985 economic stabilization plan, including NIS 18 billion in spending cuts and NIS 13 billion in tax hikes; and to rehabilitate the Budget Department, which has been in deep crisis for years, after none of the last three directors lasted even two years in the job, and a wave of departures by top officials.
A Lapid aide said that Levy "is a brilliant leader, and the man who will pull the Budget Department out of the mire."
Levy will reportedly be bound by a complex conflict of interests agreement because of his long service at Shikun & Binui Holdings Ltd. (TASE: SKBN), which has banking, energy, construction, real estate, and infrastructures activities.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on May 27, 2013
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