and arab women. in 2006 the employment rate among ultra - orthodox men was 25 percent ( compared to 62 percent among the male population overall ) and among arab women it was 17 percent ( compared to 53 percent among women in general ). if we do not manage to deal with this issue, more and more of the israeli population are likely to find themselves outside of the labor market and, as a result, poor. it is important that this sensitive and complex topic be addressed, and that appropriate solutions are found based, inter alia, on the right system of incentives. c. investments investment is the key to growth, and therefore it is important that the israeli economy is an attractive place for local and foreign investors. in this context, i will refer to the easing of processes required in order to do business in israel. there are a number of reports that refer to this topic, such as the world economic forum's global competitiveness report. i will concentrate on another important report, the doing business report, published by the world bank. this report ranks 178 countries measured by parameters that represent the ease ( or difficulty ) of doing business in each country. overall, israel is ranked 29th, which is not bad, and even relatively high. if we examine the parameters of the index more closely, we will find that israel ranks even higher on some of these : for example, on the strength of minority shareholder protections against misuse of corporate assets by directors for their personal gain, israel is ranked fifth ; or on the legal rights of borrowers and lenders, and the availability and legal framework of credit registries, israel comes seventh ; on the procedures necessary to import and export by sea a standardized cargo of goods, eighth ; and on the procedures and costs associated with setting up a business, 17th. however in other parameters israel ranks very low : for example, on legal procedures relating to the enforcement of contracts ( 102nd place ) ; on the procedures, time, and costs to build a warehouse ( 109th place ) ; and on registering property ( 152nd place ). these findings will not surprise any israeli. it is very important that all the relevant authorities cooperate, to remove these bureaucratic obstacles, and to bring about an improvement in all these fields, especially in those where israel currently ranks low. it is easy to think that details like these are not important. but we have to contend with competition from all the world, and it is clear that the achievement of sustainable growth depends on our dealing

capital. the examples will illustrate that without the implementation of such a strategic plan, not only will we not move forward toward closing the gaps vis - a - vis the other advanced economies, the gaps vis - a - vis the countries at the forefront will widen. it is important to state at this point that in recent years, there has been significant progress in the government ’ s strategic planning led by the national economic council. a deputy directors - general forum for planning and strategy has been established, and is preparing a plan for the government ’ s work ; seven areas in which the government has chosen to focus have been identified ; interministerial cooperation has been intensified ; and detailed targets have been set in a number of areas, and work has begun toward achieving them. however, the challenges are large, and the way toward formulating a work plan, and more importantly toward implementing such a plan, remains long. in the area of healthcare and long - term care, in view of the trend of aging population, we can estimate that the volume of needs for medical and long - term care services will increase sharply, and we must already prepare for this now. while the general population is expected to increase by 23 percent, the number of elderly citizens is expected to increase by more than double that – 52 percent. as a direct result, the demand for various healthcare services bis central bankers ’ speeches will also increase by about 60 – 70 percent, all while the overcrowding in the hospitals is already very high. in addition, about half of the physicians in the system are aged 55 or more – the highest figure in the western world – and the rate of those completing medical and nursing school is lower than in other countries, even after the increase in recent years. as such, the number of physicians per capita is expected to decline. the israeli healthcare system is considered very high - quality by international comparison. however, given the overcrowding in the hospitals, the long wait for various procedures, and the low rate of doctors and nurses per capita, the level budgeting for the healthcare system must be adjusted to the tasks imposed on it, a significant increase in the physical infrastructure and human capital in the system, and streamlining the long - term care system, with particular attention to improving systemic coordination. these can be advanced only through a multi - year plan based on a detailed analysis of future needs. only the formulation and implementation of such a program will be able to maintain and improve the high - quality israeli healthcare