Nir Kantor – Director
Oren Arambam – Economist
Leon Meidan – Economist
Rinat Levy – Secretary
The Department of Industrial and Business Economics provides MAI members with services both at the macro level – answering the needs of industrialists as a whole – as well as at the micro level – providing economic counseling or solving problems of individual industrialists or groups of members with similar problems.
The principal thrust of the Department’s activity is to represent the MAI vis-a-vis official bodies, including appearing before the different parliamentary committees of the Knesset (Israel’s parliament) and other official forums, handling members’ individual approaches and circulating relevant economic material to MAI members.
The Department of Industrial and Business Economics is active in a number of different areas:
Business Advice to MAI members
Government Assistant to Industry
Assistance in this field is provided by the Department’s economists, and deals with all available tools of assistance to industry. Help includes providing details concerning procedures in presenting requests for assistance, extending professional advice and accompanying companies in the execution of plans. The Department also endeavors to find solutions to bureaucratic problems t may arise during and after submission of companies’ requests.
Reduction of Costs an General Business Advice
The Department advises on how to cut costs in the framework of the daily running of factories. The Department’s economists provide initial advice, and in cases of need it is possible to receive additional advice from experts in the field. Such experts are chosen after careful screening, and in most cases they are paid reduced fees, based only on success.
The main areas of advice are:
1. Reduction of Municipal Taxes for Industry:
In 2002 the industrial sector paid over a billion and a half shekel oth of municipal taxes (mainly property tax). The Department assists factories in reducing the load of such taxes, both at the level of legislation, and for each factory individually.
2. Increasing Sources of Financing/Reducing Financing Costs
- The Department gives financial advice with the aim of increasing available sources of financing and at the same time how to reduce the costs involved. The Department’s economists provide initial advice, and in case of need companies are referred to experts in the field.
- The Department has set up a special Finance Fund for industrial companies, in cooperation with banks and other bodies.
3. Reduction of Indirect Taxes on Imports fo the Pupoe of Export
Export companies are entitled to a refund of indirect taxes in respect of raw materials that are imported for the manufacturing process of export goods or similar purchases carried out in Israel. Exporters who wish to benefit from such drawbacks must register with the appropriate branch of the Customs Authority. The Department of Industrial and Business Economics assists exporters in doing this.
4. Debt Collection and Requisition
The Department of Industrial and Business Economics assists companies with debt collection and requisition where necessary. These actions are carried out by specialist firms that are operated by the MAI, which assumes responsibility for executing all procedural and legal aspects of the collection. BR ESIGNTIMESP=18173>
5. Real Estate Advice
The Department’s economists provide advice on matters of moving factories from one place to another, such as: alternative industrial zones, laws for the encouragement of capital investment, etc.
Forum of Finance Managers
The Department of Industrial and Business Economics established the Forum of Finance Managers, which comprises senior finance managers from large and medium companies in all industrial branches, who are members of the MAI. Activities are carried out also by means of three sub-committees: Taxation, Finance and Auditing. The Forum’s main goals are:
- To promote interets specific to industry in matters of finance, auditing and taxation.
- To exert influence with regard to specific subjects on the agenda such as: taxation, banking and credit, assistance provided by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor, accountancy consulting, etc.
- To serve as a platform for the promotion of relevant legislation.
Committee for Small and Medium Businesses
This Committee provides wide-ranging services to about 800 companies in all industrial branches. It was set up in order to solve specific problems of small and medium plants, which for the most part differ from those of large companies. Principal services are:
- Creating sources of bank credit
- Advice on reducing running and financing costs
- Assistance in receiving government support
- Seminars and courses at reduced rates
- Support in placing workers in industry
- Assistance in assimilating Internet technology in plants, etc., etc.
Energy Committee
This is a professional committee of 20 members, who are Israeli industry’s largest producers and consumers of energy.
The committee dals with an extremely wide range of energy-related subjects and its influence is felt in all companies in the Israeli economy. On an average, the Committee meets every two months and is managed by the Department of Industrial and Business Economics.
In addition to the activities of the Energy Committee, the Department of Industrial and Business Economics deals with explicit energy-related problems encountered by factories, reduction of costs and provision of information concerning tariffs of energy inputs.
Building and Planning Committee
The MAI was appointed by the Minister of the Interior, in accordance with existing legislation, as a public body authorized to submit objections to local and regional development plans, due to public interst in such plans.
A new professional committee was set up within the MAI, in order to promote this subject. This Committee set up procedural guidelines for the MAI in the event that an industrial company requests its intervention when objecting to a local or regional development plan.
A company that is exposed to possible harm in the framework of a local or regional development plan is invited to turn to the MAI’s Building and Planning Committee for possible assistance. |
