The accountant general at the Ministry of Finance, Yali Rothenberg, commented publicly today for the first time on the controversy over the government’s overhaul of Israel’s judicial system. "We, and the whole world, see the tough internal public and political debate taking place in the country today," Rothenberg said at the Manufacturers Association of Israel Industry and High Tech Conference. "Current sentiment and the state of social solidarity in Israel are disturbing," Rothenberg said.
The accountant general commented on the level of risk in Israel for international investors. "The senior managers in the Accountant General Department and I talk regularly to the rating agencies and international investors. They all expect the system to converge quickly on a sustainable solution, so that the level of certainty will go back to being high and the WGI will not be adversely affected," he said.
The World Bank’s WGI (Worldwide Governance Indicators) measure a country’s quality of governance under six headings, and are produced from surveys of enterprises, experts, and citizens.
Rothenberg implicitly rebutted media reports that he was preventing discussion in the Ministry of Finance of the legislation on the legal system. "We reflect, and will continue to reflect, for the policy makers analyses of all the matters relevant to the Israeli economy and their significance. We do so in the appropriate forums, in an open, balanced, professional, non-belligerent manner, and on the basis of data," he said, adding, "We have our ways of doing this, without it reaching the media."
Rothenberg concluded by calling for a quick resolution. "The State of Israel, Israeli society, and the Israeli economy have undergone various complicated processes and crises over the years. The current situation is disturbing. I am also know and am aware of the attempts to reach consensus, and I hope that it will be found soon."
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on March 20, 2023.
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