Prime Minister’s Personal Expenses Still High

Two foreign flights alone on the Prime Minister’s jet cost a total of over NIS 10 million.

The Prime Minister’s Office also paid for the water expenses in the Prime Minister’s private residence in Caesarea in 2014, according to a list of the Prime Minister’s Office’s agreements with suppliers for the first half of the 2014. The report, disclosed at the request of the Movement for Freedom of Information, shows that the Prime Minister’s Office paid the Caesarea Development Company NIS 29,500 in the first half of the 2014 alone for the water expenses of the Prime Minister’s private residence.

The Prime Minister’s Office spent exactly the same amount on the Prime Minister’s personal appearance. A “Globes” query revealed that these expenses were for clothing and hair styling. The Prime Minister’s Office continued to pay for a large proportion of the expenses for Netanyahu’s official residence on Balfour St. in Jerusalem in 2014, including NIS 5,500 for a carpet and NIS 10,000 for flower arrangements in the first half of that year. The state paid NIS 15,000 for the Prime Minister’s two houses, and the cleaning expenses for the house on Balfour St. totaled NIS 356,000.

At the same time, the Prime Minister’s Office paid NIS 53,307 in maintenance expenses, NIS 2,880 for hydrogen gas, and NIS 2,950 for electrical work and lighting for the Balfour St. residence. The state paid NIS 1,298 for pesticides, NIS 708 for a new intercom for the house to replace the broken one, NIS 8,825 for a radiator, and NIS 1,168 for an espresso coffee machine.

Cooking utensils at the official residence cost the taxpayer NIS 13,000. Water expenses there amounted to NIS 49,160 and beverages cost NIS 9,000. Taxpayers footed the bill for NIS 60,000 in landscaping in the first half of 2014, and payments for small-scale renovations at the beginning of 2014, including painting one of the rooms, came to NIS 9,959.

The state spent NIS 19,520 on food for the Prime Minister’s official residence, NIS 3,000 on disposable cutlery, NIS 3,492 on an awning for the house entrance, and NIS 26,000 for “communications costs.” Municipal property tax on the house came to NIS 38,000 for the first six months of 2014.

The Prime Minister’s Office bought a leather travel bag for NIS 369 and an inflatable mattress for “regular use” for NIS 322.

Curtains, furniture, and an air-conditioner for a Pilates course

The Prime Minister’s Office splurged on curtains last year. Director general Harel Locker’s office spent NIS 5,638 on this item, in addition to over NIS 51,000 paid by the Prime Minister’s Office for curtains in the first half of 2014. Netanyahu also spent NIS 2,784 on new curtains for his office.

NIS 17,764 was spent on furniture for the meeting room. 45 chairs were purchased for the cabinet room at a cost of NIS 50,000. NIS 998 was spent on air-conditioner for a “Pilates course to be started in the office,” NIS 4,985 on “ordering wine for the Prime Minister’s meetings,” and 15 new doors were installed at a cost of NIS 50,000. Replacing the doors in Netanyahu’s office cost another NIS 36,745. 400 skullcaps were purchased for the Prime Minister’s flights, for which the Prime Minister’s Office paid NIS 1,793.

Read more at GLOBES.

{Matzav.com}