Accountant General in the Finance Ministry Michal Abadi-Boiangiu published a dedicated call for proposals for a support test for public institutions whose revenues were harmed during the war following Operation Roaring Lion. This step was taken ex gratia for institutions that would not have been eligible for assistance under the standard support tests. The Accountant General's move is intended to provide a tailored response to strengthen the third sector, out of recognition of the importance of its functional continuity and resilience in routine times and during emergencies.
The total support framework stands at NIS 40 million. It will be distributed through two assistance tracks based on the institutions' turnover during the base period. The scope is designed to ensure a tailored response for both small and large public institutions. The submission of applications opened on October 4 and will continue through October 18. The application process is carried out digitally via the government support portal. The step will be provided with full professional and technical support, provided by the department throughout the submission period.
This is not the only time recently that the Finance Ministry, led by Minister Bezalel Smotrich, has executed initiatives bordering on election economics weeks before the election. As reported yesterday, the Israel Tax Authority will operate an initiative until December 5 to compensate business owners harmed by protection-racket activities. The compensation will be capped at NIS 2 million per case. These initiatives join the decision by the Finance Minister to reduce the excise tax on gasoline by a cumulative sum of NIS 1 per liter for two consecutive months. The cost of the reduction in terms of the state budget is estimated at NIS 500 million, and it will remain in effect until after the election.
The initiative to subsidize gasoline prices won the approval of Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara, even though the step was taken less than a month before the election. However, it remains unclear whether the moves by the Israel Tax Authority, and now by the Accountant General in the Treasury, received similar approval. It is possible that additional last-minute initiatives are expected before the election. While Opposition Leader Yair Lapid attacked the gasoline price subsidy move, the additional initiatives by the senior officials in the Treasury went unaddressed.