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NEWS
Interior Ministry Director General Visits Modi'in Illit
by A. Cohen
Interior Ministry Director General Oscar Aburazak paid a
visit to Modi'in Illit and was impressed by the accelerated
rate of development in the city. During a working meeting he
noted the chareidi city is in a difficult socioeconomic
state, with many unemployed families and numerous
difficulties, yet finished the year with a balanced budget
and no deficit. "This achievement is not found elsewhere and
should be studied as an example to be implemented in other
locations," he said.
Earlier Aburazak conducted a three-hour tour of the city,
including old and new neighborhoods, institutions and high-
tech offices each employing dozens of local women. Throughout
the tour he remarked on the rapid rate of development and the
highly developed infrastructures. He was also shown the
property-tax collection system, which has been significantly
upgraded, and was pleased to hear the public is cooperating
as demonstrated by the 90% collection rate.
At the working meeting Aburazak was familiarized with the
needs of the Engineering Department and was asked to
implement the decision made by former Director General
Mordechai Mordechai to help develop the department due to the
city's specific problem of being built entirely on private
land. Council Head Rabbi Yaakov Guterman also asked him to
set up a committee of directors general to be headed by
Aburazak to investigate the city's other unique problems,
such as the return of the Ganei Modi'in neighborhood to the
Binyamin District to join Chashmonayim. He also asked for
renewed discussion of the council's request to grant high-
tech companies bringing in jobs a discount on property taxes
in order to encourage more companies to open branches and
work centers in the city. Aburazak said he backed these ideas
and promised a quick response.
Aburazak showered Rabbi Guterman with praise, saying he "has
a head for economics and creative, professional thinking that
allowed him to finish the budget year without a deficit,
despite the extensive development carried out on all fronts."
The Director General also commended Treasurer Avi Eden for
his ideas.
At the conclusion of the visit Aburazak remarked on the
positive feelings of the city residents, the smooth
administration, the highly developed community services and
the general cleanliness. "An authority that gives so much to
the public should be given more, and that's what I intend to
do," said the Director General.
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