On the last day of 2024, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich signed a decree permanently eliminating the excise tax on sugary drinks and disposable tableware, introduced in 2022 by the Bennett-Lapid government and temporarily lifted in 2023 by the Netanyahu government.
The temporary abolition of the excise tax expired on December 31. The permanent abolition of the excise tax was approved by Smotrich despite the recommendations of specialists from the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Health.
The cost of this step for the state budget is 1.5 billion shekels, but the Ministry of Finance was prepared for such a scenario, so the abolition of the excise tax was taken into account when preparing other measures to consolidate the budget.