Tel Aviv Metro tenders to be subject to reciprocal procurement

Minister of Economy Orna Barbivay scored a victory over the Ministry of Finance today regarding the insertion of a clause in the section of the economic arrangements bill to promote the Tel Aviv Metropolitan Metro, making reciprocal procurement mandatory for foreign companies winning tenders related to it.

Ministry of Finance officials had argued that although reciprocal procurement was mandatory for all foreign companies winning government and other public tenders over $5 million, research found that it was not effective and made projects more expensive.

Barbivay said that in 2020, 961 Israeli companies benefitted from reciprocal procurement, including 356 companies benefitting for the first time, 243 small and medium-sized companies who received orders from foreign companies worth an overall $954 million.