A full delegation of officials from the Finance Ministry's
budget department toured Modi'in Illit and held a working
meeting with Council Chairman Rabbi Yaakov Guterman. The
visit set a precedent since the department's personnel rarely
engage in field work.
Amir Levy, deputy budget commissioner, said the department
attached great importance to the visit after hearing about
the city's successful job projects. The 12 department members
began the visit with tours of the Eshkol Hapayis community
center in Kiryat Sefer, the new Bais Yaakov seminary near the
Kessem Shopping Mall and the city's new neighborhoods. The
visit focused on meetings with the managers of companies like
Matrix that have opened work centers in the city.
During a working and summarizing meeting, Rabbi Guterman
explained that in order to provide amenable working
conditions the city needs land for employment purposes, day-
care centers and a hot lunch program. The visitors praised
the various companies' employment enterprises and thanked
Rabbi Guterman for hosting them.
Rabbi Guterman requested additional funding to boost
employment by providing training programs, saying local
companies were prepared to make pledges to hire every woman
who passed the training programs. He also directed specific
requests to various members of the department according to
their respective areas of specialization.
