Ammanis want new gov't to improve economy, lower prices

AMMAN — Jordanians want to see ministers "in the field" to respond to citizens' concerns, particularly those who suffer poverty.

In interviews with The Jordan Times, Ammanis spoke about their expectations of the new government.

His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday entrusted Hani Mulki to form a new government, succeeding that of Abdullah Ensour, which resigned earlier in the day.

Yasmin Ezidin, a pharmacist, said the new government should work on reducing and controlling prices, especially food products, as they currently fluctuate from one place to another in the capital. 

The new Cabinet should also fight brain drain, she said, as qualified Jordanians tend to emigrate to seek jobs abroad due to the low salaries in Jordan compared to some other countries.

"We hope that this government would be able to reform the labour market by raising the minimum wage and controlling the Syrian workers who accept lower salaries than Jordanians," Maya Rifai, a perfume vendor, said. 

Rifai added that youths should be better represented in the new Cabinet because they are more able to interact with young citizens, who form the majority in Jordan.

Malak Khatatbeh, a salesperson at a shopping mall, complained about increasing the fees of the General Secondary Education Certificate Examination (Tawjihi) and said that would form an obstacle for students who try to continue their education.

The outgoing government had imposed a JD30 fee for every course that Tawjihi students wish to retake after failing four times.

Omar Dawood, a private business owner, said that Mulki, who was the chief commissioner of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, will be capable of implementing economic reform, citing his work in ASEZA.

"Encouraging investment, supporting small companies and projects should be the priority because that would increase jobs in the private sector and reduce pressure on the government," he added, voicing hope that the new government would lower the income and sales taxes.

For Tarik Najjar, a café manager, fuel prices are a priority.

"Fuel prices are very high and they affect the development process," he said.

Although many Jordanians have taken to social media to speculate about the make-up of the new Cabinet, taxi driver Jamal Shilleh said that does not concern him.

"I am not interested in persons and their names but their performance and what they can achieve, instead of repeating the actions of previous governments," he added. 

"For example, the transport minister should be in the streets, checking on traffic movement and finding solutions for traffic congestion."