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AMMAN — The Lower House Financial Committee on Sunday presented its notes on the 2016 draft budget law to the Chamber of Deputies, recommending that the bill be only passed if the government provides a clear response to its proposals.
Reading the panel’s detailed report, MP Rudaina Ati (Zarqa) said the government should allocate an “emergency fund” to cover the needs of the army and other security services.
She also requested that the government embark on talks with creditor countries to cancel part of Jordan’s debts to compensate for the high costs it is paying as a result of hosting large numbers of refugees.
As recommended by the committee, Ati requested that the government submits to the House an executive plan for debt repayment, revenue collection and reduction of the National Electric Power Company’s losses.
Raising the pensions of civil and military retirees and linking them to inflation rates, was another recommendation of the Financial Committee, which requested amendments to the Income Tax Law to address the imbalances that emerged in applying the new law.
The panel also urged the government to use solar energy in all government buildings following the example of the Royal Court, which established a solar power plant with a 5.6-megawatt capacity at its premises in May last year. In addition, the committee called on the government to stop extending civil servants’ service or rehiring senior retired officials on a contract basis, as this affects the promotion and progress of younger employees. The panel also underlined the need to attract more investments by simplifying bureaucratic measures, improving the business environment and accelerating the launch of the sovereign investment fund.
A government panel is currently drafting a law for the projected fund, which His Majesty King Abdullah called for establishing in his Speech from the Throne last November.
The panel urged the government to implement the governorate development project with complete justice and transparency this year through an executive plan that needs to be examined by MPs.
On Monday, the House is scheduled to begin deliberations on the draft 2016 general budget law and the bill governing the budget of independent government units, which the government submitted on December 6, 2015.Public spending for 2016 was put at JD8.496 billion in draft budget law, with a projected deficit of 3.1 per cent of the gross domestic product, while the growth projection is estimated at 3.7 per cent and inflation at 3.1 per cent.