Prime Minister Ariel Sharon this morning (Wednesday), 2.2.05, signed directives according to which, the chairmen of local religious councils will be eligible to be paid during the interim period until the implementation of the reforms regarding the provision of religious services.  These directives are valid for six months only.

The wage ceiling for religious council chairmen will be determined according to a wage scale that will be set by representatives of the Prime Minister’s Office and the Finance Ministry.  It should be pointed out that the salaries that will be paid to religious council chairmen during the interim period will be significantly lower than what they have previously received.

Implementing the reforms will lead to greater efficiency in the provision of quality religious services to residents of Israel.  In this context, the religious services establishment will act according to proper administrative norms that require transparency and the filing of periodic reports.  This will lead to personnel reductions.

In recent months, the Prime Minister’s Office has gathered substantial data on the religious councils’ financial situations.  The creation of a reliable and orderly database has enabled the transfer of funds to the religious councils for salary purposes.