Infrastructure projects worth a combined NIS 110 billion will be launched in the next 10 years, Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman said Sunday.
These include 26 projects in the fields of transportation, energy, water and government buildings, he told journalists at a press briefing. At least NIS 50b. will be public-private partnerships with Israeli companies, he said.
“Immediately after we pass the state budget, we will release a large number of projects,” Liberman said. “Some of these projects will be implemented next year, or in 2023 or afterward. These are large projects that will bring more continued growth to the Israeli economy.”
Most of the items on the list are things that had been previously announced. However, this was the first time the Finance Ministry presented them in an ordered fashion, with timelines for each project, Accountant-General Yali Rothenberg said. The list also clarifies government priorities for the coming years, he said.
About NIS 20b. is allocated for transportation projects that are currently underway, including extending Route 65 and light-rail projects in Tel Aviv and Beersheba. A new airport is also being planned, pending a final decision on its location.
Another NIS 50b. is earmarked for other light-rail routes, the network for the massive Tel Aviv Metro project and the construction of express lanes for Routes 2 and 20.
Another NIS 19b. is earmarked for three transportation projects whose tenders have not yet been issued: a light rail between Nazareth and Haifa, express lanes for Route 5 and building the lines for the Tel Aviv Metro.
At least NIS 15b. is planned for large power plants and water desalination plants and at least NIS 11b. for government building projects, the Finance Ministry said.