Farmers consider resuming protests

Jordan

Published: 2018-03-26 13:44

Last Updated: 2024-03-29 03:15


Banner reads: “The farmer and the soldier lie in one trench.” (File photo)
Banner reads: “The farmer and the soldier lie in one trench.” (File photo)


The slow pace of meeting the promises made by the Senate of Jordan and Lower House representatives on reconsidering the 10% tax imposed on the agricultural sector was heavily censured by the committee defending farmers’ rights on Monday.

On Sunday, representatives of farmers from different Governorates held a meeting to discuss their intention of protesting again, in response to the government’s non-compliance with the promises it had recently made.

MP Khalid Hiyari, head of the Agriculture and Water Committee of the Lower House of Parliament, said that the government had asked for a one month deadline to meet their demands, starting from 18 March.

On that day, farmers suspended their one-month protest based on the promises made by the Agriculture Committee at the Senate of Jordan and House of Representatives.

Earlier this month, the Agriculture and Water Committee of the Lower House of Parliament announced its resignation during a meeting with the government and farmer representatives, however, they returned to work after reaching an agreement with the government.

At the beginning of 2018, the Cabinet announced the main features of the economic measures for the current year, under what it called a “structural reform of the tax system,” which, in their opinion, aims to achieve stability and economic growth, and includes imposing a 10% tax on agriculture inputs and outputs.

On 27 February, Hiyari announced the Cabinet had decided to only exempt agricultural outputs of the tax hike. Among the inputs still subject to the tax are live poultry and production inputs such as fertilizers, pesticides and veterinary medicines.