No ‘extra fees’ on fuel derivatives — Lower House

AMMAN — The government cannot put any "extra fees" on petroleum products under MPs' amendments to the 2016 draft fuel derivatives law.

The Lower House passed on Sunday the 2016 draft fuel derivatives law which regulates economic and investment activities related to the petroleum products sector.

As amended by the House Energy and Mineral Resources Committee and approved by a majority of lawmakers, the government cannot put any extra fees on every fuel derivatives unit sold to consumers as stipulated in its version of the 2016 Fuel Derivatives Law.  

In remarks to The Jordan Times, head of the Energy and Mineral Resources Committee, MP Haitham Zayadin, said that in the government's version of the law, it was stipulated that it can put "extra fees" on every fuel derivatives unit (litre, tonne) but the panel removed the provision with the aim "of alleviating some of citizens' economic woes". 

"The House aims at serving Jordanians and removing some of the burdens on their shoulders," Zayadin said.

Zayadin also said that there is no need for more extra fees as there are already special fees and taxes imposed on fuel derivatives by the government. 

He also said that the value of such "extra fees" in the government's version of the law was not defined.  

Yousef Damra, managing editor of the economic section in Al Ghad Arabic daily, described the MPs' amendments as "positive", explaining that the Brent crude prices are already increasing and giving the government the opportunity to increase the prices of fuel products will make it hard on citizens and will be a big burden on them.

"The total fees and taxes on octane 95, octane 90 and kerosene reach nearly 50 per cent, 25 per cent and 6 per cent respectively", Damra said, adding: "In light of such figures, fuel products are now considered as large sources of revenues for the Treasury."