Financial committee presents report on 2021 state budget law to Lower House

AMMAN — The Lower House on Wednesday listened to the Parliament Financial Committee’s report on the state budget law for 2021 and budgets of independent public institutions.

The Lower House on Sunday will start marathon deliberations on the draft 2021 state budget law, with the chamber allocated each parliamentary bloc 15 minutes and each MP 10 minutes to address the bill, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

As a protocol, the House refers the draft state budget law for its Financial Committee for deliberations.

In its report, the panel called for cutting the total expenditure of the civil bodies by JD148 million, distributed as JD85 million from the general budget, about JD63 million from budgets of independent public institutions, with the reduction including the current expenditures in the general budget by JD19 million, and capital expenditures by JD66 million.

The committee's decision also reduces current expenditures of budgets of independent public institutions by JD26 million and capital expenditures by some JD37 million.

The panel’s 16 recommendations also called on the government to issue quarterly reports on the actual data about revenues, expenditures and economic indicators, to be submitted to the House of Representatives.

Other recommendations focused on the need of forming a national team to evaluate the Kingdom’s energy issue, including alternative and renewable energy, and develop solutions to alleviate energy burdens.

The panel also called for reviewing the salaries of board members of companies that witness contributions from the government and social security, as well as to review the decision on cancelling job applications for applicants above 48 years, and to control the salaries and rewards of the senior staff of government units.

The recommendations also drew attention to the need of increasing the government’s support for the Agricultural Risk Fund, as well as exempting the farmers from the interests of the loans offered by Agricultural Credit Corporation, speeding up a comprehensive health insurance within a specific time frame, besides supporting health and education sectors budgets.

The committee also highlighted the importance of going forward with merging and abolishing government institutions.