Issues of print media, delayed salaries of transport company top House agenda

AMMAN — The Lower House on Wednesday continued deliberations over the 2022 draft state budget and the 2022 draft budgets of independent public institutions, with a focus on citizens’ living conditions, high rates of poverty and unemployment, COVID-19 repercussions and economic policies.

At the beginning of the session, Lower House Speaker Abdulkarim Dughmi, in the presence of Cabinet members, called on the government to help Al Rai and Ad-Dustour Arabic dailies to overcome their crises, and address the issue of employees at the Syrian-Jordanian land transport company who have not received salaries for more than two years, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.  

Deliberating the bills, MPs highlighted the importance of avoiding traditional approaches while preparing budgets and including creative and innovative economic solutions for issues of concern to the public, mainly employment and improving the level of services so as to restore public confidence. 

Lawmakers also called for realising tax justice, controlling the public expenditure, addressing high debt rates, reducing the service of public debt, collecting overdue amounts to the Treasury, supporting the agriculture and tourism sectors, re-assessing water and energy agreements, increasing women participation in the labour market, and avoiding security interventions in appointment decisions.

Other demands included supporting the Jordan Armed Forces-Armed Army and security apparatuses, enabling the official media to conduct their duty, developing schools and the educational process and holding officials accountable for power outages during the recent snowstorm.