GAM council approves draft 2018 budget

AMMAN — The Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) council on Thursday praised His Majesty King Abdullah for donating two plots of land, 78 dunums and 26 dunums, in Muqablain​​ to GAM Council as part of a makruma (Royal benefaction), the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The council also approved the draft, “deficit-free” GAM budget for 2018, amounting to JD498 million.

Amman Mayor Yousef Shawarbeh said that the GAM budget for 2018 aims to contol spending and increase revenues without affecting services to citizens. 

The budget also aims at enhancing the investment climate in Amman by developing strategies, the mayor said adding that the budget includes the provision of infrastructure services and environmental projects by resorting to new sources of funding.

Total revenues of the municipality amounted to JD 498 million, of which JD334 million were self-generated, the mayor said stating that JD32 million were allocated to investment projects and overdue government debts, and JD131 million to be generated from other sources.

The total current expenditure amounted to JD202 million from salaries and wages, operating expenses and loan interests while capital expenditures amounted to JD 211 million, which constitute 60 per cent of the total budget of GAM, he said.

Other expenses include JD42 million in GAM’ overdue payment, and JD40 million to cover operational expenditure.