100-day budget only prolongs the problem, experts warn

“A 100-day budget is not a solution to anything. It only prolongs the problem. We’ll arrive on November 23 and then what? This is simply pushing back the end [of the coalition].”

By HAGAY HACOHEN
Illustrative photo of Israeli money (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
Illustrative photo of Israeli money
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
Israel is a day away from the deadline it was supposed to pass a state budget and, unless it passes legislation extending the time it has, it will head to a new election.
Two bills are currently being debated by the Knesset and have to be passed into law by midnight Monday – one pushing the deadline from Monday to November 23 and another allowing the government to “duplicate” the 2019 budget for what is left of 2020.
This will enable funding for at-risk youth programs, as well as Jewish religious schools, which Likud has demanded but, the ability to plan ahead for the country will still be severely limited, even if the bills are passed.
“Who can make plans with a budget for 100 days?” Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Prof. Mosi Rosenboim asked The Jerusalem Post. “Let’s say that you are a local authority in the Negev and you want to develop the region for 2021. How does a budget for three months help you do that? Who will sign a contract with you?”
“A 100-day budget is not a solution to anything,” he added. “It only prolongs the problem. We’ll arrive on November 23 and then what? This is simply pushing back the end [of the coalition].”
“Any budget is an expression of the will of the government to carry out actions,” he said. “If there is no budget then there is no will. This 100-days solution is purely cosmetics [covering an unsolved issue].”
Rosenboim argued that it would be better to dissolve the government now and hold new elections in November than to be at the “exact same spot when the 100 days are up.”
Tel Aviv University economist Dr. Sami Miaari agreed that a 100-day budget would not do much.
“By managing this year, which is a recession year, according to the 2019 budget you are collecting taxes and budgeting projects in a faulty manner,” Miaari said. “You are not gaining anything in terms of your economy, the only gain is political as Likud is exploring every possible option to avoid the rotation deal with Blue and White leader Benny Gantz.”
“Whom does it serve to have all projects postponed by three months?” He asked. “To have a budget from 2019 is not helping this country, which needs to do all it can do rebuild its economy during the COVID-19 pandemic.”


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