The Union of Local Authorities in Israel has announced that it will not cooperate with the decision to charge a drought tax, which the Knesset passed last week. The municipal water companies are supposed to collect the tax from consumers.
However, Union of Local Authorities chairman Shlomo Buhbut declaimed, "The Union of Local Authorities intends to instruct the mayors not to collect the drought tax."
Buhbut continued, "Just as the courts forbade IDF troops from obeying an illegal order, we will not obey an unjust law that is based on distortions and is basically illegal.
"Last Thursday, I instructed the company that provides technology services to the local authorities and water companies to divide into two the upcoming water bills that the local authorities will send to residents on around September 15, as a 'Rosh Hashana gift' to the State of Israel. One part of the bill will be sent as usual, which will state the regular water bill for household consumption. The second part - the new water fine - will be sent separately with a large Ministry of Finance emblem in red, and include a brief explanation about the real story of the fine."
Buhbut went on, "If the Ministry of Finance dares, it is invited to hire the services of private collection companies and collect the fine itself. We aren’t bailiffs for stupidity, and we won't panic at threats to send us to jail if we don’t collect the water fine. We won't make the lives of our residents miserable."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on July 19, 2009
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