Israeli Finance Minister Criticised Over Tax Commissioner's Dismissal

by Jason Gorringe, Tax-News.com, London

22 October 2001

According to reports in the Israeli media, the decision made by Finance Minister Silvan Shalom to dismiss the country's highly regarded Income Tax Commissioner has come under fire, and is expected to be discussed when the Knesset Finance Committee meets soon.

Yoni Kaplan was informed at the end of September that his contract, due to expire on December 31st, would not be renewed, despite the fact that he has only served three years in the position, and has earned high praise for his actions throughout.

There have also been questions raised over the fact that the Finance Minister has failed to find a replacement willing to step into Mr Kaplan's shoes, although several prospective candidates have been interviewed.

There are reportedly moves afoot to remove the sole responsibility for appointing the top tax positions, such as income tax, VAT, and customs commissioner, from the Finance Minister, and to set up a public committee of experts for the purpose.

Whether this actually comes to pass or not, one thing is becoming increasingly clear - Mr Shalom's ability to create a happy working environment appears to be sadly lacking. It was recently announced that Momi Dahan, one of the ministry's top economics advisors, and a key player in the recent tax reform plan, will be leaving his position at the end of the year, making him the fourth tax expert to leave since Mr Shalom began his term seven months ago.

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