The temporary finance committee, led by MK Moshe Gafni, met this morning (Monday) to discuss the approval of extending temporary regulations proposed by the Minister of Finance, following the latest round of fighting in the south.
The temporary regulations deal with compensations to employers in the southern region for paying compensations for parents' absences from work due to school closures following Home Front Command guidance.
These regulations expired at the end of April, so they did not apply to incidents from May onwards. The Minister of Finance requested an extension until the end of June.
However, the Ministry of Finance's extension request did not include other compensation components (such as for the tourism sector and beekeepers) included in temporary regulations approved last December.
The committee discussed the broader compensation and assistance components for residents and businesses in communities near the Gaza border, due to security and economic impacts. It demanded all compensation components be included. Additionally, it reiterated the need for permanent regulations to provide comprehensive compensation given the frequent threats in the south.
Following committee pressure, a significant expansion of the compensation scheme was decided, including extending regulations for tourism and beekeeper compensations and extending the regulation period by half a year till the end of December. It was also stipulated that employers with absent employees on May 6th will be eligible for wage compensation, despite Home Front Command's return to routine orders that morning. This is in addition to May 5th, included in Finance Ministry regulations. The committee also approved an order ensuring all employees are eligible for two days of compensation without exception.