A report published by the accountant general last week revealed that the state utilized only 94 percent of its final 2006 budget.

The original state budget for 2006 was NIS 284.207 billion, but after changes were made at the request of the varying ministry heads over the course of the year, the final sum was increased to NIS 301.951 billion. The state actually made use of 100 percent of the original sum, but six percent of the final sum went unused.

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The budget allotted to the Education Ministry in 2006 was originally NIS 27.130 billion and increased to NIS 27.368 billion during the year. The Education Ministry used 97 percent of the original budget and only 95 percent of its updated budget. The higher education budget was not fully used either, as only 97 percent was utilized.

The Welfare Ministry made use of all of its original budget, but only 93 percent of its finalized sum.

As opposed to other ministries, the Health Ministry made sure to utilize its entire budget by using 102 percent of its original total and 100 percent of its finalized sum. This is quite an achievement for Health Minister Yacov Ben-Yizri, Health Ministry Director General Avi Israeli and the deputy director general in charge of budget. The National Insurance Institute utilized it's entire budget as well.

The Defense Ministry is the only government ministry that is allowed to transfer unused funds from one year to the next. The rest of the ministries must return the unused funds to the state treasury.

This bodes well for the Defense Ministry, which spent 122 percent of its original budget but only 93 percent of it's updated one.

In 2006, the original Defense Ministry budget stood at NIS 45.324 billion. In wake of the Second Lebanon War, there was a budget increase of NIS 8.193 billion. Moreover, the Defense Ministry received an extra NIS 5.9 billion from the treasury.

Controversy surrounded the release of last year's 2005 report when Accountant General Yaron Zelekha suddenly released the report on the eve of Memorial Day.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Finance Minister Abraham Hirchson heavily criticized Zelekha, saying that the report was filled with unnecessary errors because Zelekha did not send the report through the proper channels.

This year, Zelekha made sure to first receive the approval of the Finance Ministry and State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss.