Mulki discusses draft budget with Senate committee

AMMAN — The Senate Financial and Economic Affairs Committee, headed by Senate President Faisal Fayez, on Sunday held a meeting  with Prime Minster Hani Mulki, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

During the meeting, attended by committee chairperson Senator Rajai Muasher, Finance Minister Omar Malhas and Minister of Political and Parliamentary Affairs Musa Maaytah, lawmakers discussed the draft laws for the state budget and the budgets of independent government units.

Fayez called on decision makers to ensure that the government’s economic correction measures will not affect essential commodities or middle- and low-income earners.

He stressed the importance of addressing the issue of tax evasion, enhancing the social security network and establishing investment projects that contribute to curbing poverty and unemployment.

Muasher said the committee has held several meetings with ministers and senior officials to review how the draft budget will allocate funds to different ministries and departments.

The committee chairperson requested more information on the government’s measures to implement His Majesty King Abdullah’s directives to avoid negatively impacting middle- and low-income earners, reduce salaries of senior officials and reduce the Lower House’s expenditure.

He stressed the importance of priority projects, foreign grants and increasing domestic revenues.

The Senate is scheduled to begin deliberations over the budget bills on Tuesday, according to Petra.

For his part, Mulki said capital expenditure in the budget is low, and as a result, the government has decided to implement capital projects  in partnership with the private sector through financial leasing, such as in the Tafileh Hospital project.

The premier outlined government measures to reduce expenditure and high salaries, study the issue of customs duties in Aqaba and development zones across Jordan, and unify the fees of work permits for foreign labourers.

Speaking about basic commodities in the Kingdom, Mulki also said the prices of water, bread and gas cylinders will not be raised, while the price of electricity will be set according to global oil prices.