Doing Business in Israel 2013
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Doing Business in Israel 2013 30 YEARS OF EXCEPTIONAL CLIENT SERVICE Doing Bussiness in Isr a e l March 2013 Dear Friends, 2012 was characterized by an uncertainty as to how the Eurozone crisis and slowdown in global demand would impact the Israeli economy. The debt crisis in Europe has exacerbated over the past year, while the fiscal cliff has caused widespread concern in the U.S. Despite this uncertainty, Israel's continued growth proved to be robust, enabling it to continue strengthening its strong economy in 2012 and withstand the consequences of the financial downturn in 2008. Indeed, the economy grew by 3.3% - reflecting a GDP per capita increase of 1.5%. After a challenging year on the TASE, marked by a drop in share prices in 2011, Israeli stocks delivered a good return in 2012, giving attractive yields to investors. Israel has launched an offshore production platform, from which the flow of natural gas is scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2013, and this also expected to have a positive effect on the Israeli economy. Thanks to the local entrepreneurial spirit, the business sector continues to grow and many new start-up companies were established over the past year. However, the elections for the 19th Israeli Knesset (Parliament) were held in January 2013, and the newly appointed government must get the 2013-2014 annual budget bill approved which, given the budget deficit in 2012, will be quite restrained. Accordingly, economic growth is likely to be on a downtrend. This publication serves as a valuable tool for investors wishing to gain up-to-date information, enabling them to grasp the general picture of various aspects relating to doing business in Israel. The information presented here addresses recent macro-economic tendencies and provides a general overview of Israel and its society, business environment, accounting framework, taxation and government tax incentives. Israel's economy has shown consistent stability, with a solid economic performance reflected once again in macro data for 2012. Prospects for the upcoming years are optimistic, especially in light of aforementioned events. Israel remains an excellent place to do business. Sincerely, Danny Margalit Chairman & CEO BDO Israel BDO Israel Exceptional Client Service BDO Israel is an innovative business oriented accounting and consulting firm, ranking amongst the five leading industry firms in Israel. BDO Israel was established in 1983 and is a member of the BDO international network. The firm has more than 1000 employees in Israel and operates seven branches across the country. BDO Israel is member firm of BDO international, one of the world’s five leading accounting and business consulting networks. The network has representation in more then 138 countries. The firm's membership in the BDO network enables the firm's clients to receive local services, which are personalized and reliable in a wide range of areas in all business centers worldwide. BDO Israel is highly committed to the financial markets, and offers various services including raising private capital, M&A and IPO's in Israel US Europe and the Far East. The strong business orientation of our leadership and our employees allows the firm to undertake every task while providing high quality professional services. Ziv Haft Head Office: Amot Bituach House Bldg. B, 48 Dereh Menahem Begin Rd. Tel Aviv 6618001, Israel Tel: 972(0)3-6386868 Fax: 972(0)3-6394320 www.bdo.co.il BDO Israel, an Israeli partnership, is a member of BDO International Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, and forms part of the international BDO network of independent member firms. BDO is the brand name for the BDO network and for each of the BDO Member Firms. Doing Bussiness in Isr a e l PREFACE This publication has been prepared by BDO Israel to provide our clients, associates and foreign investors with an overview of Israel’s economy and business environment. Our goal in this publication is to summarize useful information, so as to provide our readers with a “taste” of Israel. The publication aims at covering most, but not all, aspects of doing business in Israel and should therefore not be regarded as a manual or a textbook on the subject. Prior to making any investing decision, it is recommended to seek the advice of Israeli economic consultants in the relevant sectors. Our partners and associates at BDO Israel provide reliable and professional service to all investors considering investing in Israel. BDO Israel is one of the leading accounting firms in the banking and financing sectors, in addition to our proven leadership in other areas such as health care, real estate and high-tech. We also act as a principal financial service provider to government offices in Israel. BDO is the fifth largest international network, with combined revenues of approximately €4.6 billion. The firm has 1,200 offices in 138 countries worldwide, with a total of approximately 46,750 partners and professional staff. The information presented here was updated in January 2013, based on data available at the time of printing. The publication is intended for information purposes only and does not in any way replace or amend any of the laws and regulations mentioned. We thank the lawfirm of Gideon Fisher & Co., for their assistance in reviewing some of the chapters included here. Although we have conducted extensive research to prepare this publication, we are not responsible for any inaccuracies that may have arisen. BDO Israel Doing Bussiness in Isr a e l TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. THE ISRAELI ECONOMY IN 2012 ..................................................................... 1 1.1 Foreword ............................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Macro-economic Developments in 2012 ............................................................................................... 1 1.3 Forecast of the Economic Development in 2013 .................................................................................. 6 2. ISRAEL - GENERAL OVERVIEW ...................................................................... 7 2.1 Background ........................................................................................................................................... 7 2.2 Government........................................................................................................................................... 7 2.3 Facts and Figures ................................................................................................................................. 8 2.4 Israel’s Currency ................................................................................................................................... 9 2.5 Infrastructure ......................................................................................................................................... 9 2.6 Working in Israel ................................................................................................................................. 10 2.7 Business Hours ................................................................................................................................... 10 3. OVERVIEW OF ISRAEL’S HI-TECH INDUSTRY ....................................................... 11 3.1 Israel’s High-Tech Industry- Introduction ............................................................................................ 11 3.2 The High-Tech World in 2012 ............................................................................................................. 11 3.3 The Venture Capital Industry .............................................................................................................. 13 3.4 Analysis of Venture capital Raised by Industry ................................................................................... 13 3.5 Capital Raised by Israeli High-Tech Companies by stage ................................................................. 15 3.6 The Biotechnology Industry in Israel ................................................................................................... 15 4. BUSINESS STRUCTURE ................................................................................ 17 4.1 Business Organizations ...................................................................................................................... 17 4.2 Tel Aviv Stock Exchange .................................................................................................................... 25 4.3 Insurance, Credit And Capital Market Reform .................................................................................... 28 5. BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT ............................................................................ 29 5.1 Human Resources .............................................................................................................................. 29 5.2 Antitrust Law........................................................................................................................................ 31 5.3 International Trade .............................................................................................................................. 32 5.4 Trade Agreements .............................................................................................................................. 34 5.5 Proprietary Rights ..............................................................................................................................