Experts call to remedy income disparities

AMMAN — Economists are expressing their agreement with a recent study that portrayed economic conditions as the biggest challenge facing Jordanians, calling for measures to reduce financial burdens on citizens.

According to the eighth-edition of the 2022 Arab Opinion Index, 77 per cent of Jordanians said that economic conditions in the Kingdom are bad.

Even before the recent global crises of the COVID pandemic and the Russian-Ukrainian crisis, Jordan had been suffering from difficult economic conditions, according to economist Hosam Ayesh

“Monthly income is declining due to high inflation rates, especially after the rise in fuel and grain prices, coupled with price spikes in healthcare and education,” Ayesh told The Jordan Times.

Population increases and the large gap between per capita income and spending further exacerbate the situation, he added.  

Noting the difficult economic circumstances, economist Wajdi Makhamreh highlighted the need to find a solution to the long pending issue of low salaries. 

“Unfortunately, economic decline is present all over the world,” he added.

For Hossam Ahmad, a Jordanian citizen, low income and high costs pose a challenge. 

“Due to the lack of a raise over the past two years, I could not afford to provide for all the needs of my family,” Ahmad said.

Unemployment, poverty, poor economic conditions and increased prices remain major concerns for 90 per cent of Jordanians, according to the 2022 Arab Opinion Index.

Almost half, or 44 per cent of Jordanians, reported wanting to emigrate from Jordan, the survey added.