Minister of Finance Yuval Steinitz and Minister for the Development of the Negev and Galilee Silvan Shalom agreed to halt discussions on charging a toll on the southern sections of Road 6, the Cross Israel Highway.
The ministers reached an understanding with chairman of the economics committee MK Ofir Akonis, to remove the Ministry of Finance's proposal from the agenda and allow motorists to continue driving for free on the southern sections of Road 6 - sections 19 and 20, from the Sorek Interchange to the Bet Kama Interchange 38 kilometers to the south.
Through the Economic Arrangements Law, the Ministry of Finance had proposed the government should negotiate with Derech Eretz Highways (1997) Ltd., which has the concession to operate the highway, about charging a toll on the southern sections of the road even though it was built with public money.
In the debate Akonis said, "There is no reason why a road which was built with taxpayers money should charge a tax, especially not during an economic crisis. It's in the State's interest to shorten traveling time between the periphery and the center and this road encourages that."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on June 30, 2009
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