Merely 20% of allocated budgets are spent in Arab localities

In response to the Mossawa Center's petition, the Ministry of Environmental Protection revealed that it had utilized only 20% of the budget earmarked for addressing environmental issues in Arab localities. This information was disclosed following a petition filed by Attorney Ahmad Ghazzawi Al-Zaim, a member of the Center's Board of Directors and the Qalansawe Municipality. The Jerusalem District Court, presiding over the case, mandated the Environmental Ministry to release the requested information and cover the Mossawa Center's legal expenses. Additionally, the court ordered the Ministry's representatives to answer all inquiries posed by the Center's legal and economic advocacy team.

Attorney Ahmad Ghazzawi Al-Zaim expressed his concerns following the release of the documents, stating, “Environmental crises plague Arab localities, including waste disposal, recycling, and the cleaning of valleys. Our petition exposed the Ministry’s negligence in these matters.”

Nibal Ardat, the parliamentary and legal advocacy coordinator at the Mossawa Center, added, "We will closely monitor the disbursement of funds, which are intended to be distributed in coordination with Arab local authorities and environmental organizations. Furthermore, we demand that the Ministry of Finance fulfill its obligations by transferring the necessary funds within the next month."

The data released through the petition also revealed that only 50 million Shekels of the allocated 150 million Shekels for the years 2022-2024 have been transferred, with 47 million Shekels already spent. Additionally, out of the expected 300 million shekels from the Cleanliness Fund, the Ministry of Environment has spent only 58 million Shekels.

Below is the data on what was allocated and spent from the “Cleanliness Fund”:

Field

Approved budget

Obligations

Spent

The rest

Environmental Awareness Program

5,260₪

/$1.4K

5,260,000₪

/$1.4M

5,260,000₪

/$1.4M

Solid waste collection and treatment

185,000₪

/$48K

173,142,987₪

/$45M

42,456,102₪

/$11M

130,686,885₪

/$34M

Waste recycling centers in Arab towns

12,000₪

/$3K

6,658,892₪

/$1.7M

6,658,892₪

/$1.7M

Environment and Nature Program

6,000₪

/$1.5M

1,855,750₪

/$480K

1,855,750₪

/$480K

Solid waste treatment in the valleys adjacent to the Arab countries

16,000₪

/$4K

12,076,073₪

/$3.1M

12,076,073₪

/$3.1M

Establishment and reclamation of construction waste treatment sites

20,000₪

/$5.2K

7,780,000₪

/$2M

3,501,000₪

/$900K

4,279,000₪

/$1.1M

Research in the fields of economics and recycling

4,000₪

/$1K

1,106,830₪

/$287K

1,106,830₪

/$287K

Environmental research in the Arab society

8,000₪

/$2K

The total budget from the Cleanliness Fund is 300 million shekels.

256,260₪

/$66K

207,880,532₪

/$54M

207,880,532₪

/$54M

149,847,357₪

/$39M

On an important note, following the Ministry of Environment's disclosure of detailed lists outlining the funds allocated to Arab local authorities, regional clusters, and environmental associations, the Mossawa Center will distribute this information to environmental organizations and local authorities to ensure that the allocated budgets are fully utilized before the end of the current year.