New Law Allows Joint Bidding for Yesha Local Authorities

The IDF Central Command has put into effect a law in Yehudah and Shomron that will allow groups of local authorities to bid for services and enter into contracts in groups, instead of individually. The law has been in effect in Israel proper for the past two years, and has enabled cities and local authorities to save significant amounts of money. Local authorities in Yehudah and Shomron have been appealing to the government to apply the law there as well.

The order enacting the law in Yehudah and Shomron was signed by IDF Central Command head Nadav Padan, after consultation with the legal branch of the IDF and with the Finance and Interior Ministries, which were responsible for the original bill. The measure was pushed through by Deputy Defense Minister Eli Ben-Dahan.

Ben-Dahan said that “the order that was signed will provide an equal opportunity to local authorities in Yehudah and Shomron to negotiate for the best deal for their residents, benefiting them as residents in the rest of Israel are benefiting. I am hopeful that the next government will impose Israeli sovereignty on Yehudah and Shomron, so we will not require special orders in order to enact such laws.”