Posted on 08/02/21
| News Source: i24
Budget raises state's Health Ministry budget to NIS 2 billion
The new Israeli government passed a major stress test on Monday with the approval of the country's first budget in more than three years.
"In good time, there is a budget in Israel. After three years of stagnation, Israel returns to work," Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said in a joint statement by the Prime Minister's Office and the Finance Ministry Office.
The state budget for 2021 and 2022 passed after marathon talks between cabinet ministers and Finance Ministry officials on Sunday.
The budget next goes to the Knesset Finance Committee to prepare for the Knesset plenum for a November 4 deadline to pass into law to avoid the new government from falling apart.
It is the first state budget to pass since March 2018.
The budget raises the state's Health Ministry budget to NIS 2 billion.
"After years of neglect, this morning we are bringing in the most daring, most competitive budget, the most helpful to the weaker sections and the most concerned about the future of our children for years," Bennett said, ticking off some of the budget items, including funding public transportation, introducing competition to consumer and food products and building homes for children with autism.