The Lower House of Parliament reviewed its Finance Committee report on the 2021 draft state budget law and the budgets of the independent public institutions.

The report was presented in a parliamentary session, chaired by Speaker, Abdel Muneim Owdat, and attended by Prime Minister, Bisher Khasawneh and cabinet members.

The Lower House, on Sunday, will begin its discussion of both draft budget laws, after agreeing to grant each MP who wishes to speak, a 10-minute speech, and a 15-minute speech for parliamentary blocs spokespersons.

The committee's report, which was read by the committee’s rapporteur, Dhirar Harasis, concluded that the total spending of the civil apparatus in the budget should be reduced by JD148 million, distributed by about JD85 million in the state budget law, and about JD63 million in the budgets of the independent public institutions. The reduction includes current expenditures in the state budget by JD19 million, and capital expenditures by JD66 million, while the committee's decision reduces current expenditures in budgets of the independent public institutions by JD26 million, and capital expenditures up to JD37 million.

The committee's 16 recommendations called on the government to commit to preparing quarterly reports that include reviewing actual data on revenues and expenditures and key economic indicators, and submitting the report to the Lower House, in addition to forming a national team to study and evaluate the energy sector in Jordan, including alternative and renewable energy, and to develop the necessary solutions to reduce the burden of energy costs on the budget.

They also called for reconsider salaries of members of boards of directors in the companies that the government and Social Security Corporations (SSC) contribute to, as well as reviewing the decision to cancel employment applications for those over 48 years of age, in addition to controlling salaries and bonuses of the upper class of workers in independent public institutions.

The recommendations also called on increasing the government’s contribution to the Agricultural Risk Fund, exempting farmers from interests of the Agricultural Credit Corporation (ACC) loans, accelerating the completion of comprehensive health insurance within a specific timetable, without placing financial burdens on citizens, supporting health, education and employment budgets as a priority and including allocations in the next budget to rehabilitate and create comprehensive health centers to enable them to receive people with disabilities, in addition to creating jobs in the list of classification next year to appoint specialists in behavioral, natural, rehabilitative and psychological treatment for people with disabilities in comprehensive health centers.

The recommendations emphasized on supporting governorates councils 'budgets, improving the level of achievement and spending in their projects, enhancing interaction with the government to address challenges and obstacles that limit the councils' ability to perform their duties, and increasing financial allocations to the Palestinian Affairs Department to support service committees in the camps.

They also indicated the importance of proceeding with merging and canceling government institutions according to scientific and studied foundations, continuing to support the armed forces and security services, activating the unity of the partnership between the public and private sectors, implementing partnership projects, in addition to supporting the Olympic Committee to enable it to fulfill its duty towards sports federations.

At the beginning of the session, the house agreed to assign the legal committee to investigate an incident that involved MP Osama Ajarmeh during a visit to an economic facility, upon a request from the MP.

The Lower House of Parliament reviewed its Finance Committee report on the 2021 draft state budget law and the budgets of the independent public institutions.

The report was presented in a parliamentary session, chaired by Speaker, Abdel Muneim Owdat, and attended by Prime Minister, Bisher Khasawneh and cabinet members.

The Lower House, on Sunday, will begin its discussion of both draft budget laws, after agreeing to grant each MP who wishes to speak, a 10-minute speech, and a 15-minute speech for parliamentary blocs spokespersons.

The committee's report, which was read by the committee’s rapporteur, Dhirar Harasis, concluded that the total spending of the civil apparatus in the budget should be reduced by JD148 million, distributed by about JD85 million in the state budget law, and about JD63 million in the budgets of the independent public institutions. The reduction includes current expenditures in the state budget by JD19 million, and capital expenditures by JD66 million, while the committee's decision reduces current expenditures in budgets of the independent public institutions by JD26 million, and capital expenditures up to JD37 million.

The committee's 16 recommendations called on the government to commit to preparing quarterly reports that include reviewing actual data on revenues and expenditures and key economic indicators, and submitting the report to the Lower House, in addition to forming a national team to study and evaluate the energy sector in Jordan, including alternative and renewable energy, and to develop the necessary solutions to reduce the burden of energy costs on the budget.

They also called for reconsider salaries of members of boards of directors in the companies that the government and Social Security Corporations (SSC) contribute to, as well as reviewing the decision to cancel employment applications for those over 48 years of age, in addition to controlling salaries and bonuses of the upper class of workers in independent public institutions.

The recommendations also called on increasing the government’s contribution to the Agricultural Risk Fund, exempting farmers from interests of the Agricultural Credit Corporation (ACC) loans, accelerating the completion of comprehensive health insurance within a specific timetable, without placing financial burdens on citizens, supporting health, education and employment budgets as a priority and including allocations in the next budget to rehabilitate and create comprehensive health centers to enable them to receive people with disabilities, in addition to creating jobs in the list of classification next year to appoint specialists in behavioral, natural, rehabilitative and psychological treatment for people with disabilities in comprehensive health centers.

The recommendations emphasized on supporting governorates councils 'budgets, improving the level of achievement and spending in their projects, enhancing interaction with the government to address challenges and obstacles that limit the councils' ability to perform their duties, and increasing financial allocations to the Palestinian Affairs Department to support service committees in the camps.

They also indicated the importance of proceeding with merging and canceling government institutions according to scientific and studied foundations, continuing to support the armed forces and security services, activating the unity of the partnership between the public and private sectors, implementing partnership projects, in addition to supporting the Olympic Committee to enable it to fulfill its duty towards sports federations.

At the beginning of the session, the house agreed to assign the legal committee to investigate an incident that involved MP Osama Ajarmeh during a visit to an economic facility, upon a request from the MP.