Jordan’s Prime Minister Hani Mulki Tuesday vowed to cut down on tax evasion, as he met with heads of the Kingdom's 100 municipal councils to discuss economic challenges facing the country on Tuesday.

The premier reviewed the key features of the government's fiscal and structural reform programme, Petra news reported.

Commenting on proposed amendments to the income tax law, Mulki said the government is committed, under the directives of His Majesty King Abdullah II, to take into consideration the middle class and low-income groups. He added that there will be no change affecting the individuals and families, but emphasised revisiting the law.

Mulki pointed out that the amendment aims to raise the efficiency of tax collection and punish evaders, calling tax evasion "a crime against the country and Jordanians" that should be firmly dealt with.

He noted that stiff penalties will be introduced against tax evasion, including imprisonment, adding that a tax investigation unit is being set up to crackdown on tax dodging and pursue perpetrators.

He noted several economic challenges faced by Jordan in the past years, some of which are "outside our will", namely the situation in the region, the disruption of Egyptian gas supplies and the Syrian refugee crisis. He also addressed other domestic issues, tied to an expansion in spending and unjustified and ill-advised exemptions related to the sales tax.

Mulki went on to stress that self-reliance is a noble strategic goal that "we seek to achieve through a collective effort to spare the country and its citizens from any future challenges resulting from deferring our problems".