Amman, Dec 8 (Petra) – The Lower House opened a debate of the draft state budget bill for the fiscal year 2026 at session Monday morning chaired by Speaker Mazen Qadi and attended by Prime Minister Jaafar Hassan and members of the government team.

Taking the floor first was MP Ibrahim Tarawneh, who called for drawing up a national employment strategy with a specific timeframe, private sector incentives through exemptions conditional on employment, as well as a vocational training approach directly linked to the labor market.

For his part, MP Zuhair Khashman, addressing the session on behalf of the Centrist Parties Bloc and the Jordanian National Union, also called for job creation for young people, proposing the budget be based on increased investments and exports.

MP Walid Masri, speaking for the Azm Parliamentary Bloc, urged more diversified sources of revenue to bolster fiscal sustainability, noting tangible progress made in deficit reduction against the odds.

MP Issa Nassar of the Mubadara (initiative) Bloc said the budget is not merely "a collection of figures," but a tool to bring financial stability, ensure social justice, and drive sustainable growth.

A key feature of the 2026 budget is reliance on balanced revenue and expenditure estimates with a limited increase as a strategic opportunity to readjust spending priorities and turn challenges into opportunities for growth and development.

MP Dima Tahboub said the general budget underlines the state's economic policies, calling it a step to control fiscal deficit within "acceptable" limits and simultaneously strengthen certain aspects of development spending to support sustainable growth.

MP Khamis Atiyeh said the budget debate comes at a sensitive time, stressing the need to ensure equal opportunities.

Also among those taking the floor was MP Rand Khazouz, who said expenditures allocated in the budget for mega projects reflect a comprehensive economic vision.

//Petra//SS