Jordanian Parliament Approves the Budget of 2020

  • Amman, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
  • 16 January 2020
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The Jordanian parliament approved the law of the state’s general budget for the current year 2020, after four days of discussions under the parliament dome that included intense and massive criticism of the government and blamed it for the deteriorating economic conditions and the increasing congestion in the street.

The government estimated the size of Jordan's budget for the current year at about 13.8 billion dollars, with a deficit (1.6 billion dollars) after the grants. The fiscal deficit is about $2.9 billion before calculating the grants, constituting 2.3 percent of the gross domestic product, according to the figures announced by the government.

In this context, the Jordanian Prime Minister Omar Al-Razzaz, in his response to the deputies during the discussion of the draft budget, stressed the government's commitment not to impose any taxes or increase prices during the current year, noting that "the work will be focused on enhancing the adequacy of tax collection and address cases of evasion, and the focus also will be placed on all projects and programs aimed at achieving comprehensive and sustainable development in a manner that provides job opportunities and reduces poverty and unemployment."

Source (The New Arab Newspaper, Edited)