Underground Railway (Metro) Law (Amendment No. 4), 5784-2024

The law amends the Underground Railway (Metro) Law and adds new rules meant to advance the metro project. A regulatory council is set up: a regulatory council will be set up under the Metro Authority. It will be made up of senior representatives of the relevant government ministries (transportation, finance, interior), representatives of local authorities, public representatives and experts. Its job will be to approve actions to be carried out, coordinate between different bodies, remove obstacles and approve permits for the executing companies. Funding the project: Metro funding levy: a yearly funding levy is imposed on property owners in the metro's areas of influence. The levy will be calculated by the property's area, a municipal tax factor and an urban factor, and will be capped at 70 new shekels per square meter. Property owners whose total property area is below 100 square meters will be exempt from this levy. Lower metro tax: over the next six and a half years (until the end of 2030), anyone who applies for a building permit will pay a reduced metro tax. The metro tax and the betterment levy together will be only 60% of the added value. After that, the rate will rise gradually. Allocating land for housing: in building plans approved within the metro areas, 30% of housing units on Israel Land Authority land will be set aside for affordable housing (long-term rental, reduced-price rental, student dorms and assisted living). Removing obstacles and advancing projects: Infrastructure coordination: rules were set for coordination between the executing companies and other infrastructure bodies, including mechanisms to remove obstacles and set timetables. Help for businesses: the state will give financial help to businesses near metro stations that are hurt by the construction work. The total help will be no less than 500 million new shekels. Land allocation: the state will be able to acquire land meant for metro development, and allocate land to the executing companies to build infrastructure. Special rules: the law includes special rules on noise, soil pollution, antiquities, business licensing, and amendments to various laws on planning and building, government companies and more. More rules: Temporary provision: some of the rules, such as the lower metro tax, are temporary provisions limited in time. Betterment levy: changes were set in how the betterment levy is calculated on affected land. The law is meant to speed up building the metro project by settling financial, planning and regulatory aspects.

Source: חוק - פרסום ברשומות