State Comptroller Raps Bureaucracy

Israel’s bureaucracy is raked over the coals in a 2000-page annual report just released here by State Comp- troller Dr. Yitzhak Nebenzahl. The report cites inefficiencies in almost every area of government, from the defense and housing ministries to prison administration.

But no major scandals were exposed, except for the looting of equipment from the Sinai after the Six-Day War by private firms and individuals. Dr. Nebenzahl found in that instance that the Defense Ministry did its best to remove the equipment before unauthorized parties got their hands on it.

The report said, however, that equipment which could not be moved out immediately was stolen because of inadequate protection. Dr. Nebenzahl told a press conference that the government and the public recognize the need for sound administration but were not doing enough about it. One of the main difficulties, he found, was lack of coordination between governmental departments.

The Comptroller’s report stated that “The government has collective responsibility for the work of all of its separate departments and agencies” and “any clash over areas of activity should be dealt with straight-away by the respective directors general, or, if necessary, by a committee of ministers.”

In a critique of economic policies, the report observed that many well-intentioned policies failed either because their execution was faulty or conditions changed while the policies remained unchanged. The report cited numerous offenses but noted that some of them were minor breaches of regulations. “Some of the worst business failures in government companies can be traced back to a neglect of the rules that we insist on about channeling information to the board,” the report said.

INEFFICIENCIES AND INADEQUACIES OUTLINED

The report found inefficiencies in the Army quartermasters branch. Military courts were criticized for administrative deficiencies and recruitment centers were accused of red tape. The report was not completely satisfied with the way the Defense Ministry procured weapons systems abroad. It noted that Israel financed the development of a $120 million electronics system but failed to ensure that the foreign manufacturer would keep the system a secret or refrain from selling it to another buyer.

The Housing Ministry, criticized for inadequacies in allocating housing to needy families, was charged with only loosely following its own regulations. The report said that the method of selecting regional committees for the allocation of housing rendered those committees susceptible to pressure and influence.

The report found conditions poor in some prisons. It said that Ramleh prison was overcrowded and in some prisons many inmates were found to be working seven days a week without rest. The report also found excessive absenteeism among prison guards. It noted that last year 46 guards had stayed away from work for more than 30 days on grounds of illness.

The Comptroller said he planned to issue separate reports shortly on the operations of the government-owned Netivei Neft oil company, the Israel Corporation and Zim, the national shipping line. He is also investigating the Wafq, the Moslem religious trust which administers Moslem holy places.