By Khetam Malkawi

AMMAN - Lawmakers on Wednesday rejected a modification to the Culture Law intended to annul a 5 per cent tax on media outlet’s advertising revenues, despite prior demands by the majority of the legislators to cancel this tax.

The amendment was rejected by 51 out of 76 attending deputies.

During discussions, Deputy Saad Srour said that he is calling on the Lower House to reject the law because it was not implemented after being published in the Gazette, which, he said, is against the Constitution.

“We have heard that the law was not implemented after the endorsement. No government has the authority to freeze the implementation of a law unless it declares martial law,” Srour said yesterday, adding that the reasons stated by the government for this amendment “are not convincing”.

The motion to amend the law states: “It was found that it is better to annul this tax as of the date of implementation for economic and social reasons.”

Srour added that the rejection of the law is not meant to offend the media.

“Discussing the law does not mean we are against the media… we will defend the rights of journalists and the press,” the deputy added.

Last April, 58 MPs signed a petition calling on the government to annul this tax, with a request by the same deputies to discuss this amendment in the extraordinary session that is currently ongoing.

Also, in an earlier meeting with local newspaper directors and editors-in-chief, Lower House Speaker and president of the 56-deputy National Current Bloc Abdul Hadi Majali pledged to exert efforts to revisit the law following a protest by industry leaders.

Other deputies, explaining their rejection of the amendment, accused the media of putting pressure on the government to endorse it.

“Why stop implementing a law related to the media? Are the media considered an authority above all others?” Deputy Tayseer Shdeifat asked during deliberations.

Meanwhile, other deputies who supported the amendment said that imposing a tax on media will lead to an economic crisis in the sector.

“Some outlets will be closed after paying this tax,” Deputy Mahmoud Kharabsheh said yesterday, adding that this tax will destroy one successful sector - media - to fund another.

MP Khalil Atiyyeh said that citizens, not media outlets, will end up paying this tax.

“This tax will affect those who post ads in the newspapers, and not the outlets themselves,” Atiyyeh said.

During yesterday’s three-hour session, deputies also referred amendments to the Criminal Trial Procedures Law to the Legal Committee and the social security draft legislation to the labour and financial committees for study.