AMMAN: Jordan’s Prime Minister Hani Mulki directed Finance Minister Omar Malhas to review the amount of money paid to government representatives for their membership on boards of directors of state-owned companies.
According to details, the premier called for identifying a maximum allowance for such members, to be considered by the ministry, and to return the surplus money to the Treasury. The Cabinet decided to transfer all allowances and bonuses received by government officials for representing the state on the boards of companies to a special fund at the Finance Ministry.
The collected amount will be distributed evenly among all representatives, even when a certain official represents the government in more than one company board.
Mulki also directed all ministries and independent public institutions and departments to completely abide by regulations stipulating not to appoint any employee, whether through a salary or an allowance, outside the structures of public sector employment.
The prime minister tasked the Audit Bureau with following up on these instructions and not to disburse any financial dues for people who are hired after the decision, and asked the agency to report any violation.
The decision is aimed at ensuring the government’s commitment to rationalizing and controlling expenditure.
The directives came as the government was mulling plans to impose additional taxes to secure JD450 million, as part of a plan to narrow the budget deficit.
