Phenix Centre calls on gov’t for new strategy to realise social justice

AMMAN — The Phenix Centre for Economics and Informatics Studies on Saturday called on the government to reconsider various policies that aim to realise social justice in Jordan.

In a statement issued on the World Day of Social Justice, which annually falls on February 20, the centre stressed that social justice cannot be achieved “through continuing to apply policies that rely on poor working conditions and low wages."

Social justice involves creating equality among all people and providing opportunities for everyone to benefit from modern economic and social advances, according to a centre statement.

The theme of this year's World Day of Social Justice is "Achieving Social Justice through Formal Employment", which means guaranteeing basic social protections for workers.

The percentage of workers in Jordan's informal economy reached in 2019 approximately 48 per cent of the total workforce, according to official figures. Estimates suggest a higher percentage during the pandemic, the centre added.

In this regard, the centre called for new work policies guaranteeing that workers benefit from basic labour standards, including decent salaries, comprehensive social protection, and sustainable jobs. 

The centre added that achieving social justice requires revisiting current tax policies, noting that the current system imposes higher relative taxes on lower-income Jordanians through levies like sales tax and customs fees. The centre argued that a better system would rely more heavily on progressive taxation and taxes on wealth.

The statement also called on the government to expand investments in the education, health, housing, and transport sectors in order to help citizens achieve their basic rights and improve social justice in the country.

The centre also said that economic and social indicators in the Kingdom point to the failure of government policies aimed at fighting poverty and unemployment, adding that these problems were getting worse before the pandemic and have since deteriorated further.