State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman on Monday criticized what he called the "monumental waste" of public funds incurred over the construction of a new compound meant to house the prime minister's office and residence in Jerusalem.
The project has been underway since 1995. First estimated at 600 million shekels ($176 million) construction costs have since ballooned to a staggering NIS 1.3 billion ($381 million).
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Englman has found that at least NIS 75 million ($22 million) were spent unnecessarily, especially since the project has been suspended due to concerns raised by the Shin Bet security agency.
He further criticized the fact that, after 11 years in the making, not only is the project nowhere near completion, it has been decided to use another site, meaning pegging future costs at this time is impossible.
In 2016, the cabinet pushed through a decision to finish construction by 2018, but that soon proved unfeasible as the Shin Bet, which provides security for the prime minister and his family, expressed reservations over various changes to the construction plans to which the agency was not made privy.
It should be noted that the project involves the National Security Council, the Shin Bet, and the Finance Ministry's Accountant General's Office.
The Shin Bet said in response that while it was not the agency's responsibility to inform the relevant team of the changes made to the construction site, they accept the comptroller's remark in their case.
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