The Knesset, Israel’s Parliament, will be called back from its summer recess for a special session to deal with the decision by the Treasury to impose higher customs duties and excise taxes on a variety of consumer goods, it was reported here today.
The special session, which will probably be held before the end of the month, was requested by four opposition parties — Herut, the General Zionists, the Communists and Agudat Israel. Opposition deputies charged that the Treasury broke its pledge not to increase levies this year and timed the announcement of the higher taxes to be made after the Knesset adjourned last week. The Government thus attempted to impose the new levies without discussion in the Parliament, the opposition members charged.
The higher taxes announced last week apply to such items as cooking gas, electrical appliances, alcoholic beverages and automotive spare parts. They were imposed for the purpose of increasing State revenues and were expected to yield an additional 10, 000, 000 pounds ($5, 600, 000) annually for the Treasury. A Treasury spokesman said last week that the Government hoped the new levies would not raise the cost-of-living index by more than one quarter of a point.
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