Gov’t, House reach deal over price hikes

AMMAN — The government on Sunday reached a deal with MPs over its decision to increase the gas cylinder price from JD7 to JD7.5 and another to raise car licensing fees, under pressure from the Lower House, the media and the street.

However, the government announced that the drop in the cylinder price will be made up for by an equivalent increase in other fuels, a fact that split lawmakers over the issue, with some crying out that the deal reached was not fair.

Following a closed-door meeting with the House's Permanent Bureau ahead of a session to discuss the 2016 General Budget Law, the government also revisited its recent increase to car licensing fees, leaving the cost of licences for vehicles whose engines are sized 3,000cc and below unchanged.

At a joint press conference with House Speaker Atef Tarawneh following the meeting with MPs, Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications Mohammad Momani explained that the drop in revenues from gas cylinders will be made up from prices of oil derivatives in the upcoming monthly update. 

He also announced that licensing fees for vehicles with 3,001-4,000cc engines will be JD440 under the new system, while the fee for engines larger than 4,000cc will be JD650.

The decision applies to newly imported vehicles as of Monday, he explained. 

He also said that the government has dealt with MPs in a civilised, democratic manner, noting that the new decision was not a “retreat or compromise” but a “modification to serve citizens and does not affect the goals behind the hikes to car licensing fees”.

The past few days saw mounting criticism by MPs over the revisited hikes, which culminated in a group of lawmakers threatening to move ahead with a motion of no confidence against Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour’s government in response to what they termed “its uncurbed money-collecting methods”.