Sources inform ''Globes'' that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked Minister of Finance Yair Lapid to hold off presenting the austerity measures in the budget proposal for 2013-14 until after his return from China, but Lapid refused. Netanyahu reportedly wanted to be in the country when the measures were announced, but Lapid insisted on submitting the budget exactly one week before the cabinet discussed the budget.
Lapid did so, even though government regulations allow the finance minister to circulate the budget just three days before the cabinet meeting.
A source close to Lapid said today, "The dates are not optional."
Top Ministry of Finance officials backed Lapid's decision, saying that, with the agreement of Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein, the ministers would receive the budget material, because of its importance, no less than a week before the start of discussions. "This is what was agreed with Weinstein, and this was the right thing to do," said a top official.
This week, Lapid released the budget proposal to the minister and the media while Netanyahu was visiting China on a trip that was planned in advance. The fact that Lapid was forced to absorb all the harsh criticism alone, while Netanyahu was in China, has caused sharp criticism of the latter, as though he had "fled". At the time, astonishingly and without precedent, Netanyahu, through his spokesmen, made sure to send an unusual number of press releases describing his visit to China, which did not interest the public much.
Netanyahu initially refused to express support for Lapid on the day the austerity measures were published, but gave his public support yesterday.
The Prime Minister's Bureau has not so far responded to the report.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on May 9, 2013
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2013