Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Deputy Prime Minister, Rajai Muasher, on Monday met with a number of economists as a first step towards a nation-wide dialogue on the draft income tax law.
During the meeting attended by a number of ministers, Muasher expressed hope to reach a better formula of the law via intensive dialogue with all members of the society, which he started on Monday with economic affairs writers and journalists.
Muasher said the government believes in dialogue in order to reach consensus and a formula of the law that takes into account national interests and priorities, stressing that the purpose of amending the income tax law is to maintain sustainability in the state's ability to provide all services and address indebtedness within a clear strategy.
According to Muasher, the government's approaches included, drawing up a map showing a compatible mechanism for distributing the tax burden in a just manner, and building a basic and permanent rule of the income tax law that takes into account the national priorities that include stimulating the national economy and achieving social justice.
The Deputy Prime Minister added that resorting to a national dialogue about the law is the main way to a tax justice that takes into account the interests of all individuals and sectors, noting that increasing the tax does not mean increasing revenues.
Muasher said any draft income tax law must take into account the national economy's interest, fairness of distribution and take into account economic and social dimensions, as well as achieving self-sufficiency and self-reliance "so that our domestic revenues cover current expenditures."
The minister indicated that the draft law should address the issues of tax evasion and should tighten penalties.