Wants full control: The move by the Budget Commissioner that is causing concern
Mehran Frozenfer is working to establish a "mini-division," including three new coordinators, which will lead to the weakening of the independent status of the deputies in the Budget Department.
Budget Commissioner Mehran Frozenfer is initiating a change in the traditional organizational structure of the department—a move that is causing concern in the government regarding the weakening of the status of independent deputies. Today, six professional deputies work under the Commissioner, with each managing the coordinators and referents in their field.
According to the new plan, three coordinators will work directly under Frozenfer and manage the fields of AI, strategy, and regional cooperation. These are broad areas under which almost any economic issue can be placed.
Lack of understanding of the system
In the view of government sources, this is an attempt to weaken the deputies—who, by virtue of their seniority, enjoy greater independence—and effectively establish a "mini-division" within the department with full control over the programs promoted within it. Others in the government argue that this reflects a lack of understanding of the government system, because a coordinator in charge of a specific field does not have the ability to exert pressure and leverage to promote moves vis-à-vis government ministries, as do coordinators working under deputies who are responsible for a variety of issues. Therefore, these positions may remain devoid of substance.
Since taking office at the beginning of the year, Frozenfer has managed to stir up storms in the Budget Department. The most prominent case was his decision to secretly change a professional document and omit from it the professional echelon's opposition to applying the "New Horizon" program in recognized non-official education, which led to an increase in the salaries of Haredi kindergarten teachers. The Budget Commissioner can, of course, change the department's positions, but the document was passed without a signature, without the department's logo, and without updating the professionals—a step that Frozenfer later admitted to, after being asked for "assistance" in the Minister's office to deal with political pressures.
Before his current role in the Budget Department, Frozenfer served as the financial advisor to the Chief of Staff and as head of the Budget Department in the Ministry of Defense, where he managed the defense budget and led strategic reforms in the field. After retiring from the IDF with the rank of Brigadier General, he established a strategic and financial consulting firm, advised key entities in the economy, and also held joint ownership in insurance agencies. For his appointment to the position, he was required to sign an extensive conflict of interest agreement.
No response was received from the Ministry of Finance.
