AMMAN — A government source said the
Ministry of Finance conducted a study for the purpose of reducing customs duties on a group
of imported basic food commodities, according to Al-Ghad News.
اضافة اعلان
The source said that the study is part of measures
taken by the government to mitigate the impact of the global rise in commodity
prices and freight rates has on the local market and that the commercial sector
has recently submitted lists of basic food commodities to the Ministry of
Finance to that end.
Finance Minister Mohamad Al-Ississ confirmed that
the government would not impose any taxes or fees during the coming period, stressing
the ministry’s readiness to study the request of the commercial sector to have
fees imposed on basic food commodities reconsidered in order to ease the
burdens on citizens.
Minister of Industry, Trade, and Supply Youssef
Al-Shamali said the government was conducting a study on the steps to be taken
to facilitate food import procedures and reduce costs.
He said that the measures the government is
currently considering will be submitted to the Cabinet soon; among them, reducing the fees for laboratory tests
of food items, allowing the private sector to store goods, at cost, in the
warehouses of the Jordanian General Company for Silos and the warehouses of the
Ministry of Industry and Trade, exempting shipping agents and shipping lines
from quarantining shipping containers and assigning the
Ministry of Transport and the
Maritime Authority to follow up on complaints and observations received
from importers, increasing work efficiency and speeding up the completion of
customs transactions.
Shamali said "the prices of food
commodities in global markets are witnessing a rise due to the increased demand
from various countries of the world and the imposition of export duties by
producing countries," adding that Jordan imports nearly 80 percent of its
food needs, which means that any fluctuation in prices globally will be
reflected locally.
He also stressed that the ministry is
constantly following up on changes in prices in the local market, as well as
global price indicators, to control the market and protect the consumer.
The Jordanian food sector constitutes
30 percent of the volume of the commercial sector, which counts over 50,000
large and small enterprises employing approximately 250,000 workers throughout
the Kingdom.
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