Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - The Lower House Sunday began what will be a marathon debate of the draft 2017 general state budget and the budgets of independent government entities.

Lawmakers who took the floor at the session, chaired by Speaker Atef Tarawneh and attended by Prime Minister Hani Mulki and cabinet ministers, proposed spending curbs, creating a self-sustained economy that depends on industry and production and steering away from recipes set by international organisations.

One lawmaker called the draft a "traditional budget that relies on tax collection and resorts to the pockets of the people" to secure funds to the treasury, stressing his opposition to any sale tax hikes.

Others proposed that benefits for senior civil servants be trimmed as part of austerity measures, enhance job-creation and poverty-alleviation policies and protect low- and medium-income groups.

One lawmaker called for raising the minimum wage to JD240, while others focused on subsidizing small farmers and abolishing new capital projects to curb borrowing, while most of the legislators were unanimous on tougher measures to stamp out corruption. Other MPs focused on improving basic services such as education and health in their respective areas.