The Ministerial Committee on Improving Planning and Construction, chaired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, last night, approved a draft decision on construction permits, which constitutes the first stage of comprehensive planning and construction reforms.  The Committee accepted the recommendations of the ministry directors-general committee chaired by Prime Minister's Office Director-General Eyal Gabai and Interior Ministry Director-General Gabriel Maimon, which considered the issue in depth in recent months.
 
Stage A, the "permit revolution," is designed to improve and shorten the processes of obtaining construction permits by – inter alia -- making the process digital and online.  Click here for further details, including a (Hebrew) PowerPoint presentation.
 
Prime Minister Netanyahu said: "This is a genuine revolution and is very significant news for the Israeli public and economy.  The reforms will lead to less and simplified bureaucracy and will allow citizens and entrepreneurs alike to approve and build plans with unjustified bureaucratic foot-dragging.  The full planning and construction reforms will create a greater supply of construction and lead to lower housing prices, mainly for young couples."