When will the prices of disposable goods come down? Due to laws governing the abolition of regulations, the earliest date for this to happen is January 28th (the 6th of Shevat), according to Behadrey Haredim. As such, the tax imposed by the former Finance Minister will have been in place for just over a year, after being first applied on November 1st, 2021.
After Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich officially publishes his intention to cancel the taxes imposed by the previous government and opens the decision to public comment, a week must pass before the regulations are actually abolished.
Meanwhile, on January 27th, the 21 days since the government first officially stated its intention to cancel the tax will expire - this is the waiting period required by law before regulations are cancelled. Therefore, the earliest date for the decision to be ratified by the government is January 28th, but since this falls on Shabbat, the decision will be postponed until Sunday, January 29th.
Prices are expected to drop considerably, given that each kilogram of disposable items has been slapped with a tax of 11 shekels over the past year, doubling the prices of many items that are commonly used and treating disposable goods in a similar manner to cigarettes, which are very highly taxed.
The decision to abolish the tax on disposable goods was greeted with dismay by politicians in the opposition, several of whom said it would contribute to further ecological damage. However, others pointed out that in comparison to the environmental impact of many industries which have not been similarly targeted by government regulations, the impact of disposable goods is negligible.
When he first imposed the tax, former Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman was accused of singling out the haredi community for attack, and it was noted that the decision flew in the face of his stated desire to lower taxes in general. Liberman even posted a promotional clip of himself at his kitchen sink, washing dishes and telling viewers, "this is how it's done."