Avi Simhon, the head of the National Economic Council, originally presented the proposal aimed at supporting businesses and boosting consumption in order to battle the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, senior officials opposed the proposal, stating that it would reduce government revenue drastically and benefit the wealthy more than lower-income earners.   At a recent meeting of the parliament’s Economic Affairs Committee, Director of the Finance Ministry Keren Terner Eyal gave reasoning behind the decision to oppose. Eyal declared that private consumption is already high, leaving no current need to encourage it further.