(MENAFN - Jordan Times) Prime Minister Awn Khasawneh on Saturday said the government will work with the private sector to reach feasible solutions for their problems in the best interest of the Kingdom.
He said the government will speed up the submission of draft laws on investment and consumer protection to Parliament to propel the sector and safeguard consumers' rights.
During two separate meetings with trade leaders at the Jordan Chamber of Commerce and the Amman Chamber of Commerce, the premier was briefed on the sector needs, mainly with regards to the expected hikes in the electricity tariffs, the Landlords and Tenants Law, the Tax Law and regulations governing the real-estate and construction sector.
Commercial sector representatives and chamber members also recommended more attention be directed to economic reform and to fostering dialogue between the public and the private sectors.
"We will work within reason to respond to these demands and to implement them, depending on the available capabilities," the premier said, as quoted by the Jordan News Agency, Petra.
The woes of the economic sectors are mainly related to legislation and energy, he pointed out at the Jordan Chamber of Commerce meeting, which was also attended by concerned ministers.
The government is currently reconsidering the new electricity tariffs, in a manner that takes the needs of commercial sectors into consideration, the premier said.
Authorities took a decision to raise electricity prices by 9 per cent average, but the move triggered protests, especially by the retail sector. After revisiting the decision, the government halted the plan and is working on another, vowing to keep the vulnerable segments of consumers unharmed by the hikes, which are to partially offset a swelling energy bill.
On sought amendments to the Landlords and Tenants Law, which saw merchants close their shops last Sunday, he said the government will conduct a thorough study of the legislation, taking landlords' and tenants' interests into account.
Jordan Chamber of Commerce President Nael Kabariti called for a real and effective partnership between the public and the private sector that allows industrialists and merchants to take part in drawing up related policies along with public sector representatives.
Kabariti stressed the significance of speeding up work on a draft law that regulates the public-private sector partnership, in light of its importance to attract investments.
He also called for a mechanism to reconsider tax appraisals, charging that they have become arbitrary and a main cause of worry for traders.
The Amman Chamber of Commerce members echoed the same demands and views.
