"We want to exploit the fact that we succeeded in coping with the global crisis better than other developed countries in order to encourage another wave of growth that will reach 6% in the coming years. It reached 4% this year, one of the highest rates in the developed world," said Minister of Finance Yuval Steinitz at the annual Israel Hotels Association conference in Jerusalem.
Steinitz said, "To achieve this growth, we need modern laws. Something happened yesterday: in the face of intense pressure by parties that I will not detail, we were able to pass a modern capital investments encouragement law, which will greatly strengthen industry in Israel, especially in the Negev and Galilee."
He added that another important task is to "ensure that the State of Israel will be a normal country in the matter of sharing natural resources in general, and gas and oil resources in particular."
Steinitz said that adopting the Sheshinski committee recommendations was of "critical importance as a modern Western country, which can introduce measures, and not, Heaven forbid, a semi-banana republic." He promised that, within ten days "there will be recommendations that will result in us appearing as an enlightened, just, and better run country."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on December 22, 2010
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