Finance Minister (Kulanu) on Tuesday, 22 Nissan, released his new finance plan which offers promise to many families around Israel. He announced that among planned cuts will be import levies on shoes, cellular telephones and baby clothing as part of his NIS 800 million annually plan. Taxes on other imports will be removed as well, explaining he has been working to reduce the cost of the standard of living since assuming his senior cabinet post as promised his party would do during elections.

For the skeptics, Kahlon promises that the government deficit will not increase as a result of his plan, promising the amount will be covered by increased tax revenue. Party members explained the Kulanu party remains dedicated to lowering the cost of living, explaining it is not acceptable that homes in which a father and mother both work cannot pay monthly expenses, citing this situation must come to an end by lowering the cost of living.

In line with the new plan, a working father and mother with children up to the age of one will receive 1.5 tax credits. Working parents with children aged 1 to 6 will receive 2.5 credits. In addition, day care centers will be subsidized for children in first and second grades. The subsidy will be at least NIS 150 per month per child, and its size will be determined according to the socio-economic status of the local authority.

If the couple earns up NIS 5,000 each, there will be an additional monthly work grant of NIS 495.

Some accuse Kahlon of “cheap electioneering” following his dispute with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu regarding the new broadcast authority. Party officials however explain this is not the case, as clearly, Kulanu has been working to reduce the standard of living and now, for the first time in years, one can begin seeing efforts to lower the cost of housing are beginning to bear fruit. The party points out it inherited a disastrous situation in which not only did the price of buying an apartment not go down, but it increased and now, this trend has been halted.

Kahlon sidestepped questions of why the press conference was held alone, to the exclusion of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu by explaining he did not feel a need to inform Mr. Netanyahu of this particular event as it is simply part of ongoing policy.

Kahlon insists efforts to lower the cost of living continue in many spheres as clearly, the middle and lower class working families are in need of assistance to extricate themselves from becoming the working poor.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)