Jordan Times
Thursday, April 21, 2005
Tighten the belt, PM orders
gov't
AMMAN (Petra) — Prime Minister Adnan Badran on Wednesday ordered government
agencies to curb current expenditure by no less than 20 per cent.
In an official circular, the premier ordered all ministries and other government
bodies to tighten the belt particularly on expenses for utilities,
communications and travel.
Badran said that after examining general budget figures, he noticed that the
volume of public expenditure of the ministries and public institutions was
increasing, particularly in current expenditure on electricity, water, fuel
derivatives, vehicles, furniture, postage, dispatching delegates abroad,
telephone, stationery and others.
“Therefore, in line with the government's administrative and financial reforms,
as of today all public agencies and institutions must cut the current
expenditure by no less than 20 per cent of allocations earmarked this year,”
Badran stressed.
Meanwhile, Minister of Culture and Government Spokesperson Asma Khader said
Badran and Lower House Speaker Abdul Hadi Majali agreed that it was “not
necessary” to give the professional associations' draft law an urgency status.
Khader told reporters after a Cabinet session on Tuesday that the government was
open to any decision by the House Legal Committee on the issue.
During its session, the Cabinet decided to allocate JD500,000 to support
committees providing services to the refugees through the Department of
Palestinian Affairs.
The Council of Ministers also granted the International Company for Media
Services a 10-year licence to transmit on FM frequency news and political
programmes in the Greater Amman area, Zarqa, Salt and Madaba.
It also granted Al Salam Company for Audible Media a 10-year licence to transmit
non-political programmes and news in the Greater Amman area.