The new government has committed to working toward infrastructural redundancy, a
secure energy future and increased sewage treatment capabilities, according to
the coalition agreement between Yesh Atid and Likud Beytenu.
Integral to
the energy agreement made between the parties is an obligation to reduce
dependence on external, foreign sources of energy, as well as to contribute
significantly to economic growth, the environment and public welfare, the
parties announced on Saturday.
To promote efficiency and speed up the
government’s policy on these issues, Yesh Atid and Likud Beytenu agreed to
create a task force on developing energy sources in the open seas, the coalition
agreement said. The responsibilities of this task force will include ensuring a
supply of natural gas, securing resources and creating infrastructural
redundancy. Arranging the supervision and regulation of search operations,
production and transportation of natural gas in the open sea will also fall
under the authority of the task force, as will supervising and regulating the
export of the gas.
As far as the water sector goes, the Yesh Atid-Likud
Beytenu agreement stressed the importance of including the development of
residential sewage infrastructure as part of new national housing programs –
calling for an elimination of barriers to construction, expansion and upgrading
of sewage treatment plants.
Authority over implementing new sewage
infrastructure development will fall in the hands of the Water Authority,
combined with those of the existing local authorities and regional councils, the
agreement said.
Thus far, the Sewage Administration in the Water
Authority has expressed frustration that local authorities have not cooperated
to the full extent necessary in sewage treatment projects, according to the
coalition agreement. Therefore, the parties have agreed that if such a situation
occurs, the Sewage Administration will be able to turn to the Finance Ministry
and the Interior Ministry’s supervisor of regions to collect the funds required
from the local authorities.
Adhering to recommendations of the state
comptroller, the government will also be committing to reducing the number of
local water corporations – a decision that all of the members of the coalition
support. All of the parties involved have likewise agreed to support Knesset
legislative proposals regarding the natural gas and energy sectors.
In
its specific coalition agreement with Likud Beytenu, Bayit Yehudi likewise
committed to supporting the prime minister’s efforts to bring forth reforms on
energy regulations.
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