(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) The Jordanian government has decided to raise fuel prices by 10-53 percent, sparking protests nationwide.
Under the decision, the cost of 12 kg of gas will hike from USD nine to USD 14 and a litre of octane petrol from USD one to USD 1.12.
The decision has sparked protests in some areas in Jordan as over 2,000 persons gathered at Jamal Abdul Nasser Square in Amman, calling on the government to cancel the decision.
Prime Minister Abdullah Al-Mansur justified the decision by saying the total budget deficit for 2012 is 3.5 billion dinars (around USD five billion), adding that the financial situation in the country has been greatly affected by the Arab Spring.
"The decision to re-examine fuel subsidies needed to be taken two years ago, " Mansur said, adding that the government would subsidize low-income families to help with the higher prices.
In 2011, Jordan imported around 97 percent of its energy needs at a cost of USD five billion, making up 20 percent of the country's gross domestic product.
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