Israel's Treasury Seeks New Leader for Major Infrastructure Projects
Translated & summarized from Calcalist by baba
Oshrat David Deker, the Israeli Ministry of Finance's Deputy Accountant General for Infrastructure, is leaving her post at year's end. The role oversees major national projects, including the metro and energy initiatives. Four internal candidates are being considered to replace her, each with varying levels of experience in infrastructure management. During her tenure, Deker advanced projects worth billions of shekels, including transportation and energy developments.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Oshrat David Deker is leaving her key role as Deputy Accountant General for Infrastructure at Israel's Ministry of Finance.
- The position is critical for advancing major national projects like the metro and energy infrastructure.
- Four internal candidates are being considered to replace Deker at the Ministry of Finance.
- Gal Lando, head of PPP projects, has the most direct experience with the division's operations.
- Deker's tenure saw the advancement of multi-billion shekel projects in transportation and energy.
- The successor will face challenges in financing and executing large-scale infrastructure initiatives.
Oshrat David Deker, the Deputy Accountant General and Director of the Infrastructure and Projects Division at Israel's Ministry of Finance, will depart her role at the end of the year after a four-year tenure. Her position is considered crucial, bridging government policy, state budgets, and the execution of complex, high-value infrastructure initiatives, particularly those utilizing Public-Private Partnerships (PPP).
The successor will play a key role in decisions impacting transportation, energy, water, and environmental sectors, as well as private investment levels. The Ministry of Finance faces the challenge of selecting a leader to oversee significant infrastructure projects, including the metro system and railway expansions, during a period of anticipated funding and execution challenges.
Four internal candidates from the Accountant General's division are reportedly being considered. Gal Lando, currently Deker's deputy and head of the PPP projects unit, has the most direct experience with the division's operations. He joined the Accountant General's office in 2016 and has held various roles, including managing the education and welfare team, overseeing state guarantees during the COVID-19 pandemic, and most recently, leading the infrastructure and projects unit. He also serves on the board of directors for EAPC.
Other candidates include Yonatan Reznik, who oversees the social services division and previously served as an aide to former Accountant General Michal Abadi-Boyang'o, offering insight into top-level decision-making. Dan Gonen manages the assets and logistics division, dealing with government property and major contracts, though with less direct focus on national infrastructure tenders. Uri Shasha, responsible for general offices, handles strategic economic issues, such as the Dead Sea concession renewal.
During Deker's tenure, the division advanced numerous large-scale infrastructure projects worth tens of billions of shekels. These included the controversial Gush Dan congestion charges, the BRT's Blue Line, Jerusalem's light rail, the northern extension of Highway 6, express lanes on Highways 20 and 5, and plans for an alternative airport. The division was also involved in significant energy and water projects, such as desalination plants, power stations, and solar energy facilities. Deker was also part of steering committees for major public transport projects like the Gush Dan, Haifa-Nazareth, and Gush Dan metro lines, and worked to attract international investors to Israeli infrastructure projects.
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