Jordan: Farmers ‘fatigued’ by further taxation

Yesterday, Jordanian farmers let it be known they were anxiously awaiting the government's decision to annul its recent imposition of a 10% tax on several agricultural inputs and outputs.

The Jordan Farmers Union (JFU) said that the taxation on the agricultural sector, made without consulting farmers’ representatives and industry leaders, added to the financial burdens and losses that Jordan's farmers have endured since the closure of that nation’s borders with Iraq and Syria.

“This new 10% tax on the agricultural sector is another, bigger strain on the already fatigued farmers,” JFU Director General Mahmoud Oran told The Jordan Times. He explained that the public’s purchasing power has already plunged since the government announced new taxation measures earlier this year, adding that demand for fruits and vegetables is expected to drop.

Meanwhile, an industry insider, said that “not much is to be expected from the government. We are not optimistic. Prime Minister Mulki’s meeting with the farmers was just to defuse the situation and we became aware of that after the PM promised to get back to us after consulting with the International Monetary Fund.”