The Israel Cabinet today voted to impose a special tax ranging from 6 to 12 percent of the income of each citizen, for the purpose of helping the settlement of the Jewish immigrants arriving here from Rumania, Poland and other countries.
Approval of the Cabinet’s decision will be sought in the Parliament this week, when the Cabinet will present a bill for enactment. The special tax is expected to provide 40,000,000 Israeli pounds ($22,000,000) extra for immigrant absorption.
The urgent need for housing for the new immigrants was considered here at a meeting of a subcommittee of the coordinating board of the government and the Jewish Agency under the chairmanship of Levi Eshkol, Minister of Finance. The committee dealt with plans to finance housing construction, the speed-up of construction, and distribution of the new immigrants throughout the country.
Officials of the government and the Jewish Agency reported today that 60 Rumanian families, who were settled in the Negev in the southern desert, in recent months, have been found to constitute excellent element and have already adapted themselves. The adjustment to settlement life took place despite the fact that the newcomers were inexperienced agriculturally, being mostly clerks and artisans. As a result, plans have been completed for the settlement of another 100 families there in the next few weeks. The 60 families are in the 35 to 40 year age bracket and the average family numbers four persons, it was reported.
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