Jordan’s new Prime Minister Omar al-Razzaz on Thursday announced his government would repeal a controversial income tax bill once he is sworn in by King Abdullah II.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting in the Jordanian parliament, Razzaz said there was a consensus to withdraw the tax bill, which had sparked nationwide protests that began last week against International Monetary Fund-backed economic reforms.
The king appointed Razzaz as the new prime minister on Tuesday and tasked him with reviewing the tax plan and launching a national dialogue with unions and civil society groups.
But protesters demanded that the proposed tax law be scrapped entirely, adding that a cabinet reshuffle was not enough to raise living standards.
The government’s economic reform measures are the latest in a series of economic changes since Amman secured a $723m three-year credit line from the IMF in 2016.
SOURCE: Al Jazeera and news agencies