The Jordanian lower house on Monday opened debate on the 2.3 billion Jordanian dinar Draft Budget Law for the year 2001. The deputies took the opportunity to express the demands of their constituencies and their need of infrastructure projects to enhance them.
At the beginning of the session, which will last at least two days, Munir Sobar, the rapporteur of the Finance and Economic Committee, read its recommendations pertaining to the draft law. Among these recommendations were the need to upgrade the living conditions of Jordanian citizens, reduce the six percent deficit and enhance the Kingdom's foreign exports.
Sobar demanded “tough” measures against tax evasion to enhance public revenues and to tighten public expenditure to reduce the deficit. The committee also called on the government to reduce the interest rates “which will enhance domestic industry” and concentrate on economic growth as part of its fiscal policy.
The deputy urged the government to work hard to lift the siege imposed by the Israeli army against Palestinian self-rule areas, which hampers the flow of goods to Palestine and affects Jordanian exports. Sobar also urged the government to help lift the 11-year-old sanctions on Iraq, which he said has affected trade with Iraq.
Although the committee praised the government's fiscal policy and the success of the economic restructuring program, it also urged the government not to renew the program and devise and follow its own restructuring program. The committee also called for restructuring the mining sector, especially the potash and phosphate industries, which are facing criticisms in the press.
The report also urged the government to undertake serious measures to reduce poverty and unemployment. Among these measures they said should be focusing on capital projects, which can employ large numbers of people and to launch housing projects for low-income families.
The committee also demanded that the government reactivate the Protection of National Industry Law to safeguard the interests of Jordanian-made products, which were affected by the “flood” of similar goods from neighboring countries.
Following Sobar's report, the deputies started their reply to the government's draft law, urging the executive to give more attention to their constituencies and improve the living conditions of citizens. They also called upon the government to fight corruption and nepotism.
During their speeches, the deputies urged the government to take care of the municipalities by distributing development projects outside the capital and other major cities. Deputy Salamah Hyari, who represents the Balqaa Governorate, cast doubt on the government's figures included in the draft budget.
Hyari said the government resorted to a “new attitude” to show that economic growth for the year 2001 amounts to four per cent, which he claimed deceives the public and gives a wrong impression of the real figures of the draft budget. — ( Jordan Times )
By Tareq Ayyoub
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
