[VIDEO IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]

Minister of Industry, Trade & Labor (Bayit Yehudi) Naftali Bennett explains his ministry is in the process of amending the operation of Israel’s Standards Institute, the ‘Taf Teken’.

Bennett explains that in an effort to facilitate imports with a goal of lowering prices, he is compelling the acceptance of the standards institute certification from Europe and N. America, such as the ‘UL’, eliminating the need for a company to receive an Israeli Standards Institute approval. Obtaining the approval can be a lengthy and expensive process he explains, and at times, it will compel changing a product beyond a manufacturers’ willingness to enter the local Israeli marketplace.

Bennett explained in the past, the Taf Teken would modify a European standard just enough to prevent the imports from competing and he plans to change this police towards encouraging imports. The new policy, the standard acceptance of Europe and US standards, does not apply to items that may “pose a danger” as he put it, citing pharmaceuticals and food as an example of the exclusions.

Bennett is confident the plan will increase imports and drive prices down.

See the video below in which he explains his plan, in Hebrew.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)