House to open 2015 budget debate Sunday

(MENAFN- Jordan News Agency) The Lower House on Sunday begins what will be a marathon debate on the 2015 state budget and the budgets of governmental units, estimated at JD6.1 billion with a projected deficit of JD688 million.

During today's session, chaired by Speaker Atef Tarawneh and attended by Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour and cabinet ministers, lawmakers listened to the Financial Committee's report on the budget draft.

The original draft projects the total revenues at JD7.4 billion, including JD6.4 billion in domestic revenues and JD1.12 billion as due foreign grants, while general expenditures are estimated at about JD8 billion, including about JD1.1 billion as capital expenditures and JD6.9 billion as current expenditures.

But the committee had sought to reduce the budget to about JD6 billion by cutting current expenditures to JD6.7 billion and slashing the deficit to JD468 million.