Hiriya Chair Warns Frozen Cleanliness Fund Could Halt Recycling Systems

Reuven Ladiansky, chair of the Dan Cities Association for Sanitation that operates Hiriya, warned that freezing the Cleanliness Fund could halt municipal sorting and recycling systems. In a letter to Local Government Center chairman Haim Bibas and Forum 15 chairman Ron Huldai, he said facilities including Hiriya's RDF plant depend on an operating grant of NIS 20 per ton. Ladiansky said authorities pay about NIS 650 million in annual landfill levies, and alleged that the Finance Ministry borrowed NIS 2 billion to NIS 3 billion from the fund without repayment while more than NIS 1.5 billion in interest and indexation was lost. He called for intervention to preserve the grants.