Gov’t vows to plug loopholes in public money management

AMMAN — The government is working towards plugging “any loopholes” in legalisation related to public money by amending the laws of the Jordan Integrity and Anti-Corruption Commission (JIACC) and Audit Bureau, in addition to adopting revisions to the Graft Law, Minister of State for Media Affairs Amjad Adaileh said on Sunday.

The government's priority is “empowering the system of integrity and combating corruption”, Adaileh said during a joint press briefing outlining the procedures of regulatory agencies and reviewing the epidemiological situation in the Kingdom held at the Prime Ministry. 

Speaking during the joint press briefing, attended by Health Minister Saad Jaber, Director General of the Income and Sales Tax Department (ISTD) Hossam Abu Ali and Jordan Customs Department (JCD) Director General Maj. Gen. Abdul Majeed Rahamneh, Adaileh added that preserving public money has had an “added value amid the exceptional circumstances that the Kingdom is experiencing”.

Regarding Jordanian expatriates who are bearing the brunt of job losses, Adaileh said that no official figures are available on the number of citizens who lost their jobs in Gulf countries, highlighting His majesty King Abdullah's directives to bring home Jordanians stranded abroad.

Rahamneh said the department's revenues during the first-half of 2020 stood at JD600 million, noting that the amount fell short of budget estimates.

He added that 20 smuggling cases worth JD26 million were recorded during the January-June period.  

Abu Ali, for his part, said that 643 inspection tours were carried out during the first six months of 2020.