Lower House reviews 2024 budgets for media entities

AMMAN — The Speaker of the  Lower House  Ahmad Safadi, on Wednesday chaired the meeting of the Lower House  Financial Committee to discuss the budgets of the Ministry of Government Communication, the Jordan Radio and Television Corporation, the Jordan News Agency (Petra), the Media Commission and the Kingdom Television.

Safadi emphasised, during the meeting attended by the Minister of Government Communication  Muhannad Mubaidin, and Secretary General of the Ministry of Government Communication Zaid Nawaiseh, the crucial partnership between the Lower House and the media, highlighting their role in coverage and information dissemination, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Nawaiseh reviewed the budget of the Ministry of Government Communication for 2024, totalling JD1.901 million, including JD1.251 million allocated for ongoing activities and JD650,000 for capital projects, compared with the 2023 budget of JD1 million, allocated for the establishment of the Ministry.

 Nawaiseh said that the ministry requested over JD3 million for 2024 to meet the needs of its programmes and activities, underscoring  their commitment to promoting the state's media message and addressing various challenges facing the Kingdom.

Director General of the Jordan Radio and Television Ibrahim Bawarid stated that the corporation budget reached approximately JD27 million in 2024, a rise of around JD1.8 million compared with the reestimated expenses of the 2023 budget. 

Capital expenditures for the corporation in the 2024 budget amounted to JD7.7 million, an increase of JD780,000 compared with 2023, attributed to initiating alternative energy projects and settling financial obligations to the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission. 

Director General of Petra News Agency Fairouz Mubaideen highlighted that the agency's budget reached about JD3.1 million, an increase of JD218,000 in current spending compared with the reestimated expenses of the 2023 budget. 

She also pointed out that the agency has 160 journalists distributed across  Amman and governorates, along with correspondents in 15 Arab and international capitals, noting that the agency published more than 55,000 press materials in 2023, with an increase in the website's broadcast hours to around 18 compared with 15 in 2022.