the government launches an aid program for the Bedouin industry of NIS 25 million

The Ministry of Economy and Industry and the Bedouin Development and Settlement Authority have launched a new aid program of NIS 25 million. The funds are supposed to provide incentives for the establishment of industrial plants for Bedouin communities in the Negev
Within the framework of the plan, grants of up to 25% of the investment will be granted, up to NIS 10 million for the program without requiring export criteria
Minister of Economy and Industry Eli Cohen: "The integration of the Bedouin population in the economy and the increase in the employment rate is an interest of the State of Israel in general, which will help significant economic and social change, including lowering the level of crime and narrowing gaps in education." The Ministry of Economy allocates budgets for industrial development and for employers to integrate workers from the Bedouin sector , And as these budgets increase, it will be possible to make a more significant economic and social change "
Yair Ma'ayan, Director of the Bedouin Development and Settlement Authority in the Negev: "The new route is part of the development plan for Bedouin communities in the Negev, which will encourage the establishment of industrial plants and raise employment rates in the Bedouin society." I am proud of our partnership with the Ministry of Economy,
 The Authority for Investment and Development of Industry and Economics in the Ministry of Economy and the Bedouin Development and Settlement Authority in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in coordination with the Ministry of Finance, have launched a plan for the establishment of industrial plants for industrial zones located in the Bedouin local authorities.
Activities within the framework of this government decision stem from the need to create a significant improvement in the socioeconomic status of the Bedouin population in the Negev, while striving to narrow the gaps between this population and the entire population of the country. According to the Labor Force Survey in 2015, the employment rate of Bedouin and Bedouin men was 24% and 62%, respectively, while the national average employment rate was higher than 80%. In addition, this track, in accordance with government decisions, aims to strengthen the Bedouin local authorities, improve their economic and administrative situation, and integrate the Bedouin population in the Negev into the Israeli society and economy, while consolidating the Bedouin communities in the Negev from an economic, social and community perspective.
The program encourages Bedouin entrepreneurship and employment of Bedouin in general and Bedouin women in particular, and is intended for factories that do not export as required by the Encouragement of Capital Investments Law, and therefore can not receive grants through the law.
The rate of the grant in the track will be higher than that prescribed by law and will stand at 25%, with the qualifying investment ceiling being NIS 10 million and the expectation is for 10 approved plans. The budget of the track is approximately NIS 30 million and is intended for a corporation that wishes to add a new site or to establish or relocate an industrial plant to an adjacent industrial zone - an industrial zone close to the place of residence that allows for the integration of family and employment in a maximum or a joint industrial area in one of the Bedouin settlements In the Negev, when it commits to a number of conditions in accordance with the Director General's directive: the average monthly wage per employee, the minimum employment of new employees, the mix of employees and their place of residence.
Nahum Itzkovitz, Director of the Investment Authority in the Ministry of Economy and Industry: "The route is innovative and focuses on the creation of places of work adjacent to the Bedouin population's place of residence, with cultural adaptation, the main target of which is the Bedouin women. Adequate employment will enable economic and social reinforcement of the Bedouin population in general and the population of women in particular. "