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MIRA
INFORM REPORT
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Report No. : |
492552 |
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Report Date : |
15.02.2018 |
IDENTIFICATION DETAILS
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Name : |
WEINBERG ASHER |
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Registered Office : |
1 Jabotinsky
Street, Diamond Exchange Bldg., Diamond Exchange Hall, Ramat Gan 5252001 |
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Country : |
Israel |
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Date of Incorporation : |
1990 |
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Legal Form : |
Sole Proprietorship |
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Line of Business : |
Subject is a
broker in the fields of real estate, diamonds, vehicles and more. |
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No. of Employees : |
Not Available |
RATING & COMMENTS
(Mira Inform has adopted New Rating mechanism w.e.f. 23rd
January 2017)
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MIRA’s Rating : |
B |
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Credit Rating |
Explanation |
Rating Comments |
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B |
Medium Risk |
Business dealings permissible on a regular
monitoring basis |
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Status : |
Moderate |
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Payment Behaviour : |
Unknown |
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Litigation : |
Clear |
NOTES :
Any query related to this report can be made
on e-mail : infodept@mirainform.com
while quoting report number, name and date.
ECGC Country Risk Classification List
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Country Name |
Previous Rating (30.06.2017) |
Current Rating (30.09.2017) |
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Israel |
B1 |
B1 |
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Risk Category |
ECGC
Classification |
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Insignificant |
A1 |
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Low Risk |
A2 |
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Moderately Low Risk |
B1 |
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Moderate Risk |
B2 |
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Moderately High Risk |
C1 |
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High Risk |
C2 |
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Very High Risk |
D |
ISRAEL - ECONOMIC OVERVIEW
Israel has a technologically advanced free market economy. Cut diamonds,
high-technology equipment, and pharmaceuticals are among its leading exports.
Its major imports include crude oil, grains, raw materials, and military
equipment. Israel usually posts sizable trade deficits, which are offset by
tourism and other service exports, as well as significant foreign investment
inflows.
Between 2004 and 2013, growth averaged nearly 5% per year, led by
exports. The global financial crisis of 2008-09 spurred a brief recession in Israel,
but the country entered the crisis with solid fundamentals, following years of
prudent fiscal policy and a resilient banking sector. Israel's economy also
weathered the 2011 Arab Spring because strong trade ties outside the Middle
East insulated the economy from spillover effects.
Slowing domestic and international demand and decreased investment
resulting from Israel’s uncertain security situation reduced GDP growth to an
average of roughly 2.6% per year during the period 2014-16. Natural gas fields
discovered off Israel's coast since 2009 have brightened Israel's energy
security outlook. The Tamar and Leviathan fields were some of the world's
largest offshore natural gas finds in the last decade. Political and regulatory
issues have delayed the development of the massive Leviathan field, but
production from Tamar provided a 0.8% boost to Israel's GDP in 2013 and a 0.3%
boost in 2014. One of the most carbon intense OECD countries, Israel generates
about 57% of its power from coal and only 2.6% from renewable sources.
Income inequality and high housing and commodity prices continue to be a
concern for many Israelis. Israel's income inequality and poverty rates are
among the highest of OECD countries, and there is a broad perception among the
public that a small number of "tycoons" have a cartel-like grip over
the major parts of the economy. Government officials have called for reforms to
boost the housing supply and to increase competition in the banking sector to
address these public grievances. Despite calls for reforms, the restricted
housing supply continues to impact the well-being of younger Israelis seeking
to purchase homes. Tariffs and non-tariff barriers, coupled with guaranteed
prices and customs tariffs for farmers kept food prices high in 2016. Private
consumption is expected to drive growth through 2017 with consumers benefitting
from low inflation and a strong currency.
In the long term, Israel faces structural issues, including low labor
participation rates for its fastest growing social segments - the ultraorthodox
and Arab-Israeli communities. Also, Israel's progressive, globally competitive,
knowledge-based technology sector employs only about 8% of the workforce, with
the rest mostly employed in manufacturing and services - sectors which face
downward wage pressures from global competition. Expenditures on educational
institutions remain low compared to most other OECD countries with similar GDP
per capita.
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Source
: CIA |
Company name & address
WEINBERG ASHER
Telephone 972 54 844 80 50 (mobile)
1 Jabotinsky
Street
Diamond Exchange Bldg., Diamond Exchange
Hall
Ramat Gan 5252001 Israel
HISTORY & LEGAL FORMATION
A sole
proprietorship, established in 1990.
Operating under
Licensed Dealer No. 068981174.
OWNERSHIP
Asher Weinberg.
GENERAL MANAGER
Asher Weinberg,
born 1972.
BUSINESS
A broker in the
fields of real estate, diamonds, vehicles and more.
Asher Weinberg
refused to elaborate further (last time we managed to speak with Mr. Weinberg
was back in 2012, then subject dealt only in diamonds trade).
Operating from the Diamond Exchange Hall of Diamond Exchange Bldg., 1
Jabotinsky Street, Ramat Gan.
We could not confirm affiliation to the address you provided (Shimshon
Tower, Suite 1919).
According to our
past records, subject's General Manager, Mr. Weinberg, is the only one working
in the business. We could not confirm current number of employees, but believe
it is still the same.
MEANS
Financial data not
forthcoming.
REVENUES
Revenues data not
forthcoming.
BANKERS
According to our
records (since Asher Weinberg did not disclose any data, we could not confirm
the bank details):
Mizrahi Tefahot
Bank Ltd., Diamond Exchange Business Center Branch (No. 466), Ramat Gan.
CHARACTER AND REPUTATION
Nothing
unfavorable learned.
Mr. Asher Weinberg
refused to disclose data besides general activity. In past couple of years, he
refused categorically to update any details.
Both the telephone
and fax numbers of subject which we had in past (+972) (0)3 5754718 /972 and
6136225, respectively) are disconnected.
2016 figures show
signs of recovery for the Israeli diamond trade, coming after the export of
diamonds from Israel experienced a drastic fall by 20% in 2015 from 2014 (down
40% from 2011).
Net export of
polished diamonds in 2016 decreased by 6.4% from 2015, reaching US$ 4,675
compared to US$ 4,993 million in 2014 (after 0.6% rise in 2014 and 11.6% in
2013), however net rough diamond exports jumped 23.1% to US$2,702 million (in
2015 fell 28.3% from 2014, after 4.2% rise in 2014, and a mere rise in 2013).
The market has been volatile over the last years after experiencing its worst
depression due to the global economic crisis, then recovered in 2010 but fell
again in 2012. According to Israel's Diamond Administration (IDA) at the
Ministry of Economics, the recovery in 2013 and 2014 is positive news for the
local branch (still away from its peak on the eve of the crisis with export of
polished diamonds of US$ 7 billion), however it is reported that profit margins
have been decreasing due to smaller gaps between rough (increasing) and
polished (decreasing) diamond prices.
In addition, the
local diamond sector has been negatively affected by other significant factors:
the production of counterfeit diamonds, whose quality keeps improving (harming
the raw diamonds market), the entrance of new rules by the local Tax
Authorities on the Diamond Exchange for enforcing money laundering, and the
"underground bank" affair – as below.
As a result, local
diamond dealers report on difficulties in executing transactions and bad
atmosphere in the branch. The first signs of recovery appeared towards the last
quarter of 2016 – mainly due to the growing stability of the market and the
industry’s agreement with the Israel Tax Authority in December.
Net imports of
polished diamonds totaled US$ 3,282 million in 2016, 5.7% decrease from 2015,
while net import of rough diamonds reached US$ 3,246 million, up 16.7% from
2015.
The United States
continued to be Israel’s major market for polished diamonds, accounting for 39%
of the market in 2016 (was 40% in 2015). Hong Kong is 2nd largest
market with 26% of exports (27% in 2015), followed by Belgium 8% (9%),
Switzerland 7% (7%), U.K. 4% (was 3% in 2015), and the rest of the world
account for the remaining 16% of Israel's polished diamond export.
In 2009, Israel
was ranked as the world’s largest exporter of cut diamonds, followed by India,
Belgium and South Africa.
Local diamond
sector employs some 20,000 persons.
An affair of an
"underground bank" (known as the "Check List" Affair)
shocked the local diamond branch, after in late January 2012 Police raided the
Diamond Exchange (after a long undercover operation), arrested several
individuals for investigation, caught diamonds and various assets worth NIS millions,
and blocked several bank accounts. It is suspected that a group of people,
including diamond dealers, run an illegal bank in the Diamond Exchange compound
for loans, money transfer abroad based on fictitious transactions and exchange
in volume of NIS 1 billion for several years.
The affair led to
several of reported bankruptcies of local diamond firms, a decrease of up to
70% in transactions in 2012, and for a while to paralysis (especially in raw
diamonds purchase) due to uncertainty among local and foreign dealers. Later in
2012 the Police decided to lower the profile of the investigation for a while
(pressure from the diamond branch due to the continuing damage inflicted and
the Government (losing US$ hundred millions from decrease in tax collection),
but resumed investigation in 2013.
In mid-2014, based
on the Police and Tax Authorities recommendations, the State Attorney started
the process of filing indictments against central defendants in the affair,
initially against dealers who provided foreign currency services to the
"bank" (in June 2015 the court made the first conviction in the
affair, sending a foreign currency dealer who pretended also to be a diamond
dealer, for 4 years prison, a fine and confiscation of assets in volume of NIS
millions, part of a plea bargain). Since late 2015 indictments for severe
charges pressed against 11 diamond dealers and their firms for tax felonies
committed and issuing fictitious invoices in volumes of millions US$ (latest
indictments filed by the Tel Aviv District Attorney in August 2016).
SUMMARY
Considering
the lack of elaborated data from subject's General Manager, dealings are
recommended on secured basis.
FOREIGN EXCHANGE RATES
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Currency |
Unit
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Indian Rupees |
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US Dollar |
1 |
INR 64.13 |
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1 |
INR 89.17 |
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Euro |
1 |
INR 79.39 |
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ILS |
1 |
INR 18.18 |
Note :
Above are approximate rates obtained from sources believed to be correct
INFORMATION DETAILS
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Analysis Done by
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NIY |
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Report Prepared
by : |
TPT |
RATING EXPLANATIONS
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Credit Rating |
Explanation |
Rating Comments |
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A++ |
Minimum Risk |
Business dealings permissible with minimum
risk of default |
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A+ |
Low Risk |
Business dealings permissible with low
risk of default |
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A |
Acceptable Risk |
Business dealings permissible with
moderate risk of default |
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B |
Medium Risk |
Business dealings permissible on a regular
monitoring basis |
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C |
Medium High Risk |
Business dealings permissible preferably
on secured basis |
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D |
High Risk |
Business dealing not recommended or on
secured terms only |
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NB |
New Business |
No recommendation can be done due to
business in infancy stage |
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NT |
No Trace |
No recommendation can be done as the
business is not traceable |
NB is stated where there is insufficient information to facilitate rating. However, it is not to be considered as unfavourable.
This score serves as a reference to assess
SC’s credit risk and to set the amount of credit to be extended. It is
calculated from a composite of weighted scores obtained from each of the major
sections of this report. The assessed factors are as follows:
·
Financial
condition covering various ratios
·
Company
background and operations size
·
Promoters
/ Management background
·
Payment
record
·
Litigation
against the subject
·
Industry
scenario / competitor analysis
·
Supplier
/ Customer / Banker review (wherever available)
This report is issued at
your request without any risk and responsibility on the part of MIRA INFORM
PRIVATE LIMITED (MIPL) or its officials.