More than 124,000 Jordanians - out of the 945,00 registered with the Social Security Corporation - are currently earning more than JD750 a month, according to the head of Parliamentary Economic Committee, Khaireddine Abu S’eleek.

The data was revealed during the Committee’s meeting with government officials, where the two parties discussed the draft Income Tax Bill (ITB).

During the meeting, MP Tareq Khoury said that he was intimidated by Deputy Prime Minister Rajai Muasher, who stated that “banks will increase the monthly repayments due by citizens if the ITB resulted in increasing the taxes imposed on them.”

Khoury noted that the tax imposed on banks targets their profits, not citizens’ operating funds.

“It is as if Muasher is saying 'let’s increase repayments and prices that will negatively impact citizens,'” Khoury added.

The law exempts those earning JD750 or less from paying income tax. The same law applies to a joint husband-wife salary of JD1,500 per month.