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11 Nissan 5765 - April 20, 2005 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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NEWS
8 percent Cut for Avreichim Restored

By Betzalel Kahn

The Finance Ministry has rescinded the 8 percent cut in Guaranteed Income ("Havtachat Hachnasa"), restoring the monthly payment to NIS 942 (approximately $220) following efforts by MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni.

Several months ago the government decided on a broad budget cut for government ministries. The first cut was made in funding for kollel men by reducing their Guaranteed Income by 8 percent although other Guaranteed Income recipients did not have their monthly payments reduced.

Rabbi Gafni then contacted Government Secretary Yisrael Maimon and ranking figures in the Finance Ministry's Budget Department, demanding they cancel the discriminatory cut. During the negotiations it was decided to cut ministry budgets by another 3 percent but this time the cut had no effect on Guaranteed Income for kollel men.

This week the Government Secretary and Finance Ministry's Budget Commissioner told Rabbi Gafni a decision had been reached to retract the 8 percent cut and the Education Ministry sent him official notice the original sum of NIS 942 would be restored and due to Pesach the transfer would be advanced to this week.

Degel HaTorah has been irate at Education Ministry heads for delaying the regular funding payments to kollelim and yeshivas although the ministry officials have been ready to pay the money for over a week and the discussions of the fixed tariffs will be held immediately after Pesach. "There is no public or moral justification for the delay of the regular funding on the eve of Pesach to the kollelim and yeshivas, which are already in a major funding crunch," said a Degel HaTorah spokesman. Degel HaTorah MKs have been hard at work trying to release the funding before Pesach.

 

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