Lower House budget discussions aim to reduce pandemic’s economic, social effects

AMMAN — The Lower House on Sunday continued deliberations over the 2022 draft state budget and the 2022 draft budgets of independent public institutions. 

The deliberations focused on making qualitative changes to economic policies to reduce effects of economic decline and social repercussions resulting from the pandemic, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Lawmakers are scheduled to continue deliberations on Monday morning and listen to the government's reply to their demands prior to voting on the laws chapter by chapter as per Item 112 of the Constitution and Item 82 of the Lower House bylaw.

The House also plans to vote on the finance committee's recommendations after 98 MPs took the podium since the start of deliberations last Monday. 

During Sunday's session, deputies called for re-evaluating policies to enhance financial and monetary stability and boost exports to develop the national economy. 

These policies could achieve true growth rates that could create jobs, reduce unjustified government expenditures, transition to a progressive tax system, merge and dissolve independent government units, and remove obstacles to investing, deputies said. 

They also called for utilising natural resources wisely, enhancing social welfare, supporting political, economic and administrative reform, boosting democratic openness and refusing the water deal with Israel. 

Other MPs' demands included supporting the efforts of the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army and security apparatuses in preserving national security, developing the tourism, agricultural, industrial and ICT sectors, addressing institutional weakness and excluding areas with high temperatures (the Jordan Valley and Aqaba) from the new electricity tariff, mainly in the summer.

A total of 31 lawmakers spoke during the Sunday session that was chaired by Speaker Abdulkarim Dughmi and attended by Prime Minister Bisher Al Khasawneh and Cabinet members.