Gov’t to disburse May salaries before Eid Al Fitr, Al-Ississ says

AMMAN —  The government is going to disburse May salaries before the start of the Eid Al Fitr holiday, according to the Finance Ministry.

Finance Minister Mohamad Al-Ississ on Wednesday, during a TV interview, said that the government had distributed salaries for March and April early and that it will do the same in May.

“When we set the state budget, we have been very clear that no additional income will be made from increasing taxes,” Al-Ississ said, stressing that the government “will not turn to citizens’ pockets” but instead will focus on combatting tax and customs evasion.

The Kingdom has finished the stage of full shutdown, he said, highlighting expectations that the national economy will recover from the effects of the COVID-19 crisis during the last third of 2020.

He also said that the local economy is expected to decline by 3.4 per cent this year, while it is predicted to rebound during the coming year by 3.6 per cent.

The government’s financial cuts from May until the end of 2020, total JD190 million, a move made in response to the novel coronavirus crisis, he noted.

At a time of economic slowdown, liquidity must be pumped into the local market, but in light of the shortage of funds, “what we are trying to do is minimise the negative impact on the economy”, he added. 

Al-Ississ also highlighted the need for great caution during the current stage, to avoid the growth of unemployment and poverty.