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Ammon News -

Minister of Finance, Mohammed Al-Ississ, said the expenditures and revenues were estimated according to "in-depth studies and extensive" discussions, indicating the government's intention to develop a plan for comprehensive health insurance and to make the necessary constitutional amendments in this regard.

The allocations to carry out the service projects demanded by the lawmakers while discussing the budget exceed the budget capacity, the minister told the Lower House in his response to the deputies 'remarks during the debate of the two draft laws of the general budget and budgets of government units for the fiscal year 2021.

The minister indicated that the salaries of government companies' employees are regulated in accordance with bylaws in place, while public shareholding companies are governed by regulations of private sector institutions.

On gov't future action in this regard, he said all the deputies ’remarks will receive the government's attention, pledging to update the Lower House on the measures to be taken regarding the lawmakers' recommendations.

Discussing the pandemic fallout, the minister said the crisis triggered a decline of Jordan's foreign trade volume, formed a setback for the 2019 big recovery in the tourism sector, and decreased remittances of Jordanian expats.

Noting the most important reasons behind the decline in government revenues, which triggered a rise in the budget deficit, he said "non-feasible" tax and customs exemptions, which were granted to various sectors, companies and individuals in previous years without returning a "real" benefit to the economy and citizens, tops the list.

Continuing: " A comprehensive review of the tax and customs exemptions should be made, to retain what has a positive impact on the economy, and stop other exemption privileges that deplete Treasury cash."

These exemptions should be turned into incentives that will "positively and directly" reflect on the economy and contribute to solving the poverty and unemployment problems, the minister pointed out, adding that the government will not hike taxes.

The government, he said, continues to implement set policies and measures to implement its plans, included in the draft laws of the general budget and the the budgets of government units for 2021, pledging its keenness to take steps to attract investment, which is the main engine to stimulate economic growth and job creation.

This investor attraction plan would reduce production costs, protect investor rights, speed up their transactions, fight bureaucracy obstacles, and maintain stability of the necessary legislation to encourage local and foreign investment flow, according to the minister.

The government, he said, will continue to work without delay in implementing economic reforms, particularly in relation to the tax and customs fields, combating tax evasion, and carrying out enforceable legislation and laws without favoritism, the minister told the lawmakers.

In this context, he urged the MPs, who have tax evasion files, to provide the documents to the government "very soon" to open an "immediate and effective" investigation into such cases.