Acting Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ehud Olmert today, attended the changeover ceremony for the Finance Ministry Wage Director and made the following remarks:

"Today's meeting takes place on the day on which the National Insurance Institute's annual national poverty report is issued and while I do not feel that this is the appropriate forum to discuss such issues, it would be incorrect to ignore it.  This is a serious and vexing issue that has disturbed me for some time.  This report deals with July 2004-June 2005 (inclusive); thus my tenure as Finance Minister began after the period of this report. 

The data in the report are very worrying.  They cannot be accepted as a given.  In recent years there have been considerable achievements that have certainly created a good base for improving the economy, increasing growth, boosting investments and expanding employment, but it became clear to me from the outset that we must deal with the issues of social distress and the growing social gaps in a much more comprehensive and thorough manner. 

I believe that the next report will present a different picture.  I believe that the next report will see the beginning of significant progress, which will be impossible to ignore, regarding those who are in social distress."
Acting Prime Minister and Finance Minister Olmert paid tribute to both outgoing Finance Ministry Wage Director Yuval Rachlevsky and the latter's replacement, Ozer Berkovich.