Every large business starts as a small one. Small businesses are a significant growth engine for an economy. The corona crisis hit the self-employed/small businesspeople very hard. Tens of thousands of businesses collapsed and hundreds of thousands of self-employed were left with no income.
1. Turning “a new leaf” for owners of businesses that collapsed
Easing the limitations typically imposed on those who declare bankruptcy will enable them to rehabilitate their businesses and open new ones. This relief will remain in place throughout the period of economic recovery.
2. Social safety net for independents and small business owners
Business owners and the self-employed in Israel do not qualify for unemployment payments. When their business fails, they are left with no income and no security. The Government led by Gideon Saar will grant unemployment payments to the owners of businesses that closed in order to enable them to survive, recover, and return to economic independence.
3. Eradicating bureaucracy in getting grants
Many businesses still have not received the grants promised to them, due to bureaucracy and delay.
New Hope will reduce the bureaucracy and foot-dragging in paying these grants.
Pay first, then settle up afterwards.
4. Tax advantaged savings for crisis
Economic crises can attack suddenly, but it is possible to prepare for them.
A New Hope government will give tax benefits to businesses and help them in saving for times of crisis, in order to enable them to establish a safety net for themselves and survive the crisis successfully.
5. Loans and grants to the sectors harmed by corona
Corona critically harmed several sectors, such as the restaurant industry, tourism, culture, and others.
A Saar government will promote an aid plan for special loans and grants targeting the sectors hit by corona in order to enable them to resuscitate their businesses and, with them, the Israel economy as a whole.
6. Deferring debt payment for hard-hit sectors
Entire sectors have not yet returned to work, but the banks continue their debt and loan collection processes.
New Hope will extend the grace periods for debt repayment and thus make it easier for businesses to repay their loans.
7. Preference for small and medium-sized businesses in State tenders
The State of Israel acquires hundreds of billions of shekel worth of services from the private sector each year. Less than 5% of this amount reaches small and medium-sized businesses.
We will shorten the processes for participating in public tenders in order to enable more small business to be part of them, and we will expand the scope of purchasing from small and medium-sized businesses.
8. Enhanced competition and removal of trade barriers
We will increase the number of new business by 20% by opening the Israeli economy to competition, lowering import barriers, and increasing export incentives.
9. War on bureaucracy
We will establish a permanent staff to wage war on bureaucracy and reduce it dramatically. We will combine all the collections mechanisms into a single one and thus significantly ease interactions with bureaucracy and reduce the costs of running a business.
10. Simplifying the establishment and registration of a business
Promoting the “open a company with one click” revolution and establishing a One Stop Shop service in every city and online. In addition, we will promote the deferment of the need to obtain a new business license until we exit the corona crisis, in order to enable new businesses to get started and stabilize themselves rather than dealing with bureaucracy.
11. Prompting mothers to re-integrate into the labor force
Many women do not integrate into the labor force because it is not economically worth it to them to do so. New Hope sees the integration of mothers into the labor force as in the national economic interest and in the social interest of empowering women.
We will make integration into the work force worthwhile for self-employed women, by recognizing children’s day care options as valid expenses for tax purposes.