Ora Coren

The committee would examine the entire subject of exploitation and use of resources, including the collection of information on natural resource reserves in Israel, Erdan suggests.

Bill would let retailers drop price labels from individual products if they place electronic price tags on shelves instead.

Supermarkets are continuing to deny any connection to the proposal, maintaining that they were not the ones to hire lobbying firm Goren Amir to advance it.

Israel's tuna canning industry employs about 1,100 workers, whose jobs would be lost if import duties are lowered on canned tuna, say canning companies.

Senior government sources say the proposal, which received the minister's approval last week, would serve the grocery stores' interests at consumers' expense.

The proposal's drafters - backed by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation on Wednesday - hinted that the change would lower costs and therefore also lower prices.

The local business sector claims that reducing customs levies on food items will financially hurt local producers.

Finance Ministry wants to abolish customs on imported food products that aren't also produced in Israel.

Protesters: The banking and financial system 'has grown accustomed to partying at the public's expense with its insane fees and excessively forgiving attitude toward tycoons.'

Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz says Israel Chemicals agreement would increase the country's revenues by NIS 700 million to NIS 1 billion a year.

The state and ICL have been negotiating a proposal over how much the company should pay in royalties, as well as what portion of the costs it should bear in order to dredge salt evaporation in the Dead Sea.

Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz threatened to convene a public committee to discuss company's responsibilities if ICL didn't accept proposal for cost-sharing, royalties.

No progress has been made for months due to a dispute between the Finance Ministry and the Industry Ministry regarding timeframe.

List of items to be exempted from customs duties is still being finalized at the Tax Authority, but will probably hardly be changed by Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz.

Final agreement with state remains pending; total costs unclear.

Tycoons responded to position papers published by government's Committee on Increasing Competitiveness in the Economy.

A cabinet meeting to make a decision on whether or not to adopt recommendations of the Trajtenberg committee on socioeconomic change ended without a decision on nearly all of the issues.

The cost of the cleanup is estimated at between NIS 3.8 billion (says the company) and NIS 5 billion (says the government).

Israel Chemicals willing to spend NIS 3 billion to stop flooding.

Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Zhong Shan met on Thursday with ministry officials and told of his intentions to advance a mutual free trade agreement between the countries.

Channel 2 investigative program alleges former Lev Leviev Diamonds manager stole high-quality Namibian diamonds and replaced them with poor ones.

Alony Hetz Properties and Investments propose public subsidiaries of public companies be required to have a majority of independent directors.

Scope remains relatively minor but worse could be coming, warn some economists.

Sections left out deal with cutting defense budget, reducing benefits for Haredim, increasing competition in the automotive sector and improving public transportation.