Minister of Energy and Water Resources Silvan Shalom will reduce the amount of natural gas that can be exported and raise the minimum quota for the amount of gas that must remain in Israel as a basic condition for exports, "Yediot Ahronot" reports this morning.
Shalom has reportedly not yet made a final decision by how much he will alter the conclusions of the Tzemach Committee and he will formulate a policy on the subject in the coming weeks and present it to the cabinet.
In recent days dozens of Knesset members have raised demands that the decision on the volume of gas exports should be enshrined in legislation enacted by the Knesset rather than just a cabinet decision.
The Tzemach Committee recommended that for the needs of the domestic economy a minimum amount of 450 billion cubic meters of natural gas should remain in Israel at any one time. Any amount above this can be exported.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on May 22, 2013
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