Ora Coren

As many as 1,500 marketing permits were issued without any inspection, say sources near Standards Institution of Israel.

India's Defense Ministry bars Israel Military Industries from bidding on defense contracts for 10 years, along with 5 other firms.

European Union remains primary market for Israeli goods; main markets in Asia are India and China.

Under the new initiative, the industry, finance and justice ministries have crafted a track for investment under the auspices of the Law for the Encouragement of Capital Investment.

Even though PM agrees to cut gas taxes by 10 agorot for one month.

Environmental Protection Ministry releases first ever ranking of Israel's 100 largest public companies.

Pri Hagalil's owners said they were forced to close the Hatzor Haglilit plant because the government never made good on a promise to give them a NIS 18 million grant.

Tuesday’s set of recommendations addresses enforcement and access to information and goods.

Measure was recommended by the interministerial committee on prices, and is intended to determine who is marking up dairy products, and who is profiting.

Reacting to the news shares of Clal Industries, Nesher's controlling owner, fell 2.2%.

A number of diamond traders' bank accounts have been frozen causing a chain reaction of bounced checks throughout the sector, said the senior figure in the diamond industry.

Cement monopoly says that by selling excess cement on the Palestinian market, it was keeping prices in Israel low.

Finance Ministry and Industry, Trade and Labor Ministry wants to push through plans to give the local dairy industry competition by increasing imports.

The Histadrut labor federation may take the opposing side, fearing that regulations weakening the Standards Institution's powers may result in dismissals there.

'Currently, there are lots of very blatant violations of antitrust law, and they cause significant harm to competition and to consumers - but no sanctions are being imposed in response,' says Antitrust Commissioner David Gilo.

Intel clarifies to Finance Ministry that because of the global economic uncertainties, it is delaying a final decision on where to build its next assembly plant, according to ministry sources.

Ministerial Committee for Legislation decides not to support the draft law, which was proposed by a group of 17 lawmakers - more than 10% of the house.

Officials say Ministry of Trade, Industry and Labor is paying well above market rates for the services of public relations and strategic consulting firm GCS.

Israeli food prices in 2008 were 15% higher than the average among countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which Israel joined last year, says the report.

The food-prices committee headed by Sharon Kedmi, Director General of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor, supports killing the tax on tuna imports.

Fourth dairy would compete with the three big incumbents - Strauss, Tnuva and Tara.

The Chamber of Commerce supports cutting import duties

David, 54, is receiving 63% of his father's holdings in the Central Bottling Company and its subsidiaries; he is eventually expected to take over management of the company.

Following a public outcry against the legislative amendment, Trade and Labor Minister Shalom Simhon killed it simply by adding changes of his own.

Comments follow a reexamination of royalties on resources such as natural gas and oil, as well as the Dead Sea's mineral resources.