Gov’t to respond to MPs’ recommendations on tax hike in 10 days — Tarawneh

AMMAN — Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh on Sunday said that the government will respond within 10 days to MPs' recommendations on recent increases to sales taxes.

Last week, the House submitted a total of 13 recommendations to the government which Tarawneh described as "binding".

The House recommended that the government draft an amended version of the General Tax Law giving MPs the exclusive power to set upper tax limits.
Lawmakers also recommended that the government put in place a comprehensive economic plan to increase public revenues, suggest solutions to unemployment and reconsider the tax imposed on certain commodities.

MPs also called on the government to lower agricultural production costs and open new markets for local agricultural exports, in addition to monitoring banks’ measures concerning interest rates to prevent manipulation.

Deputy Khaled Hiyari, head of the Agriculture and Water Committee, criticised the government's decision to increase taxes on certain commodities, especially agricultural products.

"Dismayed" over what he described as the government's "rejection" to cancel tax hikes on agricultural products, Hiyari announced his resignation from the panel.

Farmers and agriculture stakeholders continued their sit-in in front of Parliament on Sunday protesting against the recent tax hikes on the agricultural sector.
The House on Sunday resumed its deliberations of the draft public universities law, rejecting a recommendation by its Education Committee to allow reappointing of professors in state universities if they resign to run for parliamentary elections or are appointed under a Royal decree in senior government positions. 

The House did not discuss Sunday a memorandum signed by 24 MPs requesting a vote of no confidence in Prime Minister Hani Mulki's government.

In the memo, a copy of which was seen by The Jordan Times, signatories only said their move aimed at "downing the government to save Jordanians from its unwise decisions".