Ammon News - by Omar Obeidat | The Jordan Times

AMMAN – The government recently decided to impose a tax on sheep exports.

A Cabinet decision was taken on August 14 to amend Article 4 of the Industry and Trade Law, which imposes a tax on each local sheep or goat exported outside the Kingdom in return for subsidised fodder from which breeders benefit.

According to a copy of the decision, signed by Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Hatem Halawani, the tax on each sheep exported outside the country during the month of September was set at JD12.4.

Under the decision, which was published in the Official Gazette on Monday and went into effect September 1, the value of the fodder subsidy tax should be calculated on a monthly basis according to the real cost of subsidised fodder.

Transit exports of sheep via Jordan are exempted from the decision.

According to Nimer Haddadin, spokesperson of the Ministry of Agriculture, Jordan exported around 350,000 sheep to Saudi Arabia and other Arab Gulf states during the first eight months of this year.

He told The Jordan Times Tuesday that the cost of subsidising fodder is estimated at JD100 million this year, adding that livestock breeders receive 20 kilogrammes of subsidised barley for each sheep per month.

According to official figures, the number of sheep and goats in the Kingdom is around 3 million.

Sales of sheep usually rise ahead of Eid Al Adha (the Muslim feast marking the end of the pilgrimage season), which is celebrated by sacrificing sheep and cattle to feed the underprivileged.