Israel: housing construction sector opens to foreign companies
The Israeli Government has opened the housing construction sector to international competition in the attempt to make up for the great lack of low-cost housing, especially for young families. The aim is to build more than one million residential housing units over the next ten years, reduce the cost of houses by at least 20% compared to current costs, and upgrade the technology-intensiveness of construction methods by relying on skilled labour forces. To this end, the first Invitation to Tender was launched in order to select six foreign companies to be included in a databank. The shortlist of companies selected will be allowed to participate in future tenders for the construction of residential housing complexes. The prerequisites established by the Ministry of Construction to be included in the databank are the following: possessing an established experience in the housing construction sector, adequate financial resources, industrialized and innovative construction methods and high productivity levels. The foreign companies shortlisted will have to design entire residential areas, including the necessary commercial and schooling facilities and infrastructure, and carry out the construction project. The foreign companies will be able to use 1,000 of their own construction workers and work in partnership with Israeli companies. The authorization to operate in Israel will be granted for 5 years, extendable by another 3 years. The deadline for the submission of applications for inclusion in the databank is set at 15 July, 2016.
Australia: Alitalia signs code-sharing agreement with Virgin Australia
Virgin Australia has signed a code-sharing agreement with Alitalia, giving it the opportunity to make a comeback on the Australian market. The agreement, to be subjected to the approval of the respective Aeronautical Authorities, will enable Alitalia to sell tickets under the AZ code for three weekly flights operated by Virgin Australia between Abu Dhabi and the Australian airports of Sydney and Brisbane, while Virgin Australia will fly under the VA code two flights operated by Alitalia from Abu Dhabi to Rome and to Milan-Malpensa. Virgin Airlines said it is confident that the agreement will bring great advantages to both airline companies, primarily thanks to the intense bilateral commercial exchanges and the growing tourist flows between the two Countries, especially from Australia.
