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Part Five - The Economic Plan
Relief for imports
Imports are the means by which Israeli citizens can enjoy the highest quality products and the most competitive prices the global market has to offer. Tariffs and import restrictions are among the factors that contribute more than anything else to the increase in the cost of living in Israel. Basically, when the state makes it difficult for residents to purchase imported goods and forces them to buy inferior or more expensive local produce instead[3], actually subsidizes the least efficient and competitive local industries at their expense. If residents are able to purchase imported products at a competitive price rather than local produce, they will be left with excess resources that can be used for the purchase of such services and local products that they really want to purchase. We believe that the efforts of the country to reduce imports and restrict the actions of importers causes serious damage to the Israeli public, so we are committed to sharply reducing state interference in imports. At the same time, we will strengthen manufacturers, traders and service providers by lowering local taxes and reducing government involvement, as detailed in the section "Industry and Trade in Israel".
Eliminating tariffs and removing import restrictions
Zehut will completely eliminate, gradually, tariffs and import quotas. Only in this way will the Israeli public be able to enjoy the advantages of a global market. In addition, all restrictions on imports that were accepted for non-economic reasons will be considered anew, and unreasonable restrictions will be removed.
Reducing the power of the Israel Standards Institute
Zehut will act to dramatically restrict the power of the Israel Standards Institute to harm competition and imports. The Standards Institute often constitutes an obstacle to imports, even of products meeting rigorous standards that are accepted worldwide. This obstacle is often impassable for small and medium-sized importers. Too often, arbitrary exercise of authority by the Standards Institute raises the price of imported goods to Israel and does not increase safety at all. We will act to limit the authority of the Standards Institute, even by adopting acceptable strict standards, such as the European standard. The Standards Institute will not be able to prevent the import of products meeting these standards or to delay them for unnecessary testing. This limitation on the power of the Standards Institution will significantly reduce the negative impact on imports and the high cost of living, without harming its ability to carry out its duties.
Reducing the power of the Standards Institute will also benefit local producers. Any standard adopted for the purposes of import will also be adopted for the purposes of local production. It will be possible to manufacture in Israel not only in accordance with Israeli standards, but also according to one of the other strict standards which will be adopted. This will allow flexibility in the production which is necessary for Israeli manufacturers, especially small and medium manufacturers that struggle to cope with the stringent regulatory requirements, without compromising the safety of the Israeli consumer.
[3] Local produce that has an advantage over imported products will be purchased by domestic consumers anyway and does not need protections.
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