State Comptroller to the OECD Secretary-General: The Israeli Government Must Act to Reduce the Cost of Living

The Secretary-General of the OECD and his delegation paid an official visit to the Office of the State Comptroller of Israel. This visit followed a high-level conference hosted by the OECD in Paris for European state auditors, initiated at the request of State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman in his capacity as President of EUROSAI.

During the visit, the OECD Secretary-General, Mr. Mathias Cormann, presented a report on the Israeli economy and the cost of living, which includes key policy recommendations. The report highlights that Israel is among the four OECD countries with the highest cost of living.

The State Comptroller and his senior leadership briefed the Secretary-General and his team on the work of the State Comptroller’s Office, and presented various audit reports, particularly those related to the cost of living.

State Comptroller Englman urged the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance to take immediate action to curb the high cost of living, emphasizing that this issue is particularly critical during wartime, given the increased tax burden and high interest rates.

He further stated that his office is currently examining the activities of the Economic-Social Cabinet, both during the war and in the period preceding it, including its handling of cost-of-living issues. The findings of this audit will be published in the near future.

The Office of the State Comptroller will continue to monitor the implementation of the OECD’s recommendations.

At the conclusion of the meeting, State Comptroller Englman expressed his gratitude to the OECD Secretary-General for his visit to Israel and for the ongoing cooperation between the OECD and EUROSAI under his leadership.