November 2014 | Quality Report Headlines

For full report (in Hebrew) visit our Hebrew website: http://www.mqg.org.il

Amendment to the state comptroller law – A broadening of the term “corruption act” in the state comptroller bill, submitted by MQG together with Member of Knesset Mickey Rosenthal, passed with success. The suggested amendment is for widening the authority of the comptroller to include all unlawful acts, as well as tempering with correct governance in order to incentivize public servants to report misdoings in the public service, help their co-workers to report as well, and not turn a blind eye to severe malpractices in the public services.

Returning tens of millions of NIS to the state treasury through a demand to the ministry of economy – During 2013, MQG discovered that the Investment Center had archived cases for 44 companies without resolving their cases. Following the mqg petition, the center returned the cases for a reevaluation. The high court, after deliberation, ruled that 20 companies must return grants in the total sum of 70 million NIS. So far the ministry of economy collected 35 million NIS from companies which failed to follow the loan’s criteria.

Separation between the Standards Institute of Israel commercial and governmental activity – MQG contacted the Minister of Economy, Naftali Bennett, to act on the state comptroller’s recommendation and separate the SII commercial and governmental activities, in order for the institution to operate in a correct and interest free manner as befitting a public authority.

Amendment to The Plants Production & Marketing Board bill – Prior to the approaching second and third reading of the government proposed bill, MQG contacted the chairman of the Economy Board, Knesset member Avishay Braverman, and pointed out the fact that the bill suggests to cancel the need for the finance committee to approve taxation of growers, distributers and exporters. Also suggested in the bill is the need to determine specific methods and times to calculate and collect these taxes. The reason for this is that subjecting the Plants Production & Marketing Board to a complicated approval procedure will hinder it from updating its taxation rules.

Demanding an investigation into the Leumi Bank affairs – MQG contacted Dr. Karnit Flug, the Governor of the Bank of Israel, and Mr. Dudu Zaken, the Supervisor of Banks, in a demand to investigate the forming settlement agreement between the Luemi Bank and the American Department of Justice, estimated at a cost of close to 2.4 billion NIS. MQG is calling to attention the need to conduct a full investigation and to establish personal responsibility of the Banks officials.

Just war against the black capital in Israel – Following Sharon Shpurer’s article in ‘TheMarker Magazine’, as well as the state comptroller’s publications, MQG contacted the Director of the Tax Authority. The movement raises questions about the efficiency and determination of the authorities as they act against politicians, and called for the Director to conduct a just and true war on the black capital in Israel.

Knesset Member Katz’s unpaid vacation from the Israel Aerospace Industries – Following the IAI board of directors decision to deny the Government Companies Authority’s request to stop Knesset Member Katz’s unpaid vacation, MQG contacted the director of the Government Companies Authority, Ori Yogev, in a call to exercise his authority and summon the members of the board to a hearing, as well as ordering the termination of their service if needed.

Disclosing Knesset Members attendance records – MQG contacted the Chairman of the Knesset, the Knesset Director-General and the Knesset secretary in a call to disclose the data regarding Knesset Members attendance during long periods of time in order to make the information available to the Israeli Public, unlike the way it is published now.

The transferring of public funds held by the Jewish National Fund in an orderly and transparent manner – MQG contacted the Chairman of the Likud party, Knesset Member Ze’ev Elkin, and the Chairman of the Israel Our Home party, Knesset Member Robert Ilatov, in a request for their parties to support an amendment to the law in a way that will establish a more orderly and transparent method for the public funds held by the Jewish National Fund to be transferred for national projects.

The National Insurance Institute of Israel withholding old-age pensions – Following a petition from the mqg to the National Insurance Institute of Israel for the denying of old-age pensions entitlements, the Institute paid tens of thousands of NIS to independent insurance members and started writing an organized procedure for implementing a correction to the calculation error that caused insurance members not to receive their entitlements.

The Ehud Olmert investigations – Media publications allegadly suggest that in one of the tapes provided to the police authorities by Shula Zaken, a very serious allegation was raised concerning a bribe collected by the former Prime Minister, Ehud Barak. This allegation was allegedly raised by the Mossad Chief. MQG contacted the Attorney General of Israel, Yehuda Weinstein, calling to investigate the suspicions raised in the tapes against Barak.

Knesset Members salary – MQG contacted the public committee for establishing the Knesset Member’s salary in a request to explain why it withdrew its recommendation against raising the salary, and requesting for it to convene shortly to discuss consumer price index linkage to Knesset Members salary in 2015 before the year’s end. “The absence of a recommendation from the committee means affectively a support in the automatic pay rise for the Knesset Members.”

Enlarged severance and excellence bonus to the outgoing Chairmen of the board of directors for the Israel Postal company – MQG contacted the Minister of Communication, the Minister of Finance and the Director of the Government Companies Authority in a call not to approve the request for enlarged severance and excellence bonus to the outgoing Chairmen of the Israel Post board of directors, Mr. Sasi Shilo. The reason for the objection is that the request was made despite the Israel Postal Company’s deep financial crisis, its continual loss of profitability, financial leaks and loss of financial stability – to the point of a real threat to its existence.

The cancellation of the “Shaked Bill” – Following the procedure held in the Israeli High Court of Justice in the matter of MQG’s petition regarding the cancellation of the Sheked bill for army service, whose outline is unlawful, having impaired equality and basic legal rights, the court was ordered to answer the following questions by the state attorney’s office: “is there no fear of increasing numbers of security service intendants to choose civil service instead?” And if so, what is the consideration made to refer intendants of the security service, to the civil service instead.

Suspected meeting between the police commissioner and Avi Benayahu – MQG contacted to state attorney, Adv. Shai Nitzan, in a call to look into the publications implying that the police commissioner, Rav Nitzav Yohanan Danino, met with Avi Benayahu, a criminal suspect in the ‘Harpaz affair’ during a stay in New York.