Despite the slowdown that has affected the nation's economy over the last couple of years and the crisis in the peace process, the hi - tech industry has continued to boom. Over the last three years, the local hi - tech industry has been flooded with foreign giants like General Electric, Siemens and Intel setting up local units and others, like Texas Instruments, Convergys and America On Line snapping up local talent. A decline in the domestic economy doesn't affect us. The peace process and everything related to it has quite a small impact on the hi - tech industry since we have already been legitimized around the world. Unlike other industries, no one checks our goods for the origin of the products or know-how, but by the quality.
Foreign investors tend to ignore what's happening here politically.
The hi - tech industry is so separate. It's a global industry, and by its very nature can be quite easily removed from its geographical location. Few in the hi - tech industry attribute the burgeoning growth to government policy. I can't see that the government has helped very much over the last three years. What we expect from them is more liberalization of basic practices and special treatment on income taxes.