House panel wants pay raise for elderly pensioners

AMMAN – The Lower House will start discussing the draft 2016 state budget law on Sunday and is expected to vote on the bill within a week, MPs told The Jordan Times Thursday.  

Head of the House Financial Committee MP Abdul Rahim Biqaai said the committee has recommended a pay raise for civil service and military pensioners and to link increases in salaries with inflation rates, noting that the retirees have not seen any increases in their salaries for nearly 10 years. 

"The government should raise the salaries of pensioners, particularly those who retired a long time ago, as their wages are considered low in light of rising living costs," the lawmaker said. 

Biqaai said if the government approves the recommendation, the increase in salaries may not go into effect this year or as of July 1 because the government would need to transfer funds from one budget item to another. 

MP Ali Bani Ata, deputy chairman of the committee, said the report of the panel urged the government to use solar power in all government buildings following the example of the Royal Court, which in May last year launched a solar power plant with a 5.6-megawatt capacity at its premises. 

Among the recommendations, Bani Ata said the committee requested the government to stop extending civil employees’ service or rehiring top retired officials on a contract basis, as this affects the promotion and progress of younger employees. 

He said the committee recommended cuts to current expenditure in several fields that could save the budget around JD195 million this year, citing funds allocated for the travel of officials and fuel for government entities in addition to financial allocations for use of services and goods at public departments. 

The lawmaker, who is also head of Mubadara, the largest bloc at the House, said MPs are expected to complete deliberations and vote on the budget by Thursday or Sunday at the latest. 

He noted that next week there would be two sessions every day to complete the budget discussions. 

"I'm very optimistic MPs will vote on the budget in a week, which will be a precedent in the history of the House," he added. 

On December 6, 2015, the government submitted to the House the draft 2016 general budget law in addition to the bill governing the budget of independent government units.

Public spending for 2016 was put at JD8.496 billion with a projected deficit of 3.1 per cent of the gross domestic product.

The growth projection for next year is estimated at 3.7 per cent, while inflation is estimated at 3.1 per cent in the 2016 draft general budget law.