Jordanian government won't raise bread price

The government will not raise bread prices but is still looking for novel and more effective ways to make sure that only Jordanians buy subsidized bread, Minister of State for Media Affairs, Mohammad Al-Momani, said on Sunday.

Al-Momani, who is also the government spokesman, referred to Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour's recent remarks in which he spoke about a massive JD180 million the government pays to subsidize bread while there are millions of non-Jordanians in the Kingdom. He added that bread subsidies can be used for development purposes and in the construction of schools and hospitals, saying the current subsidy system of this staple is unfair to the Jordanian taxpayer and national treasury. Al-Momani said the government is currently informing the public opinion and clarifying facts about financial waste the treasury incurs because of the current subsidy system of bread. The minister added that no final solutions over this issue have been discussed yet.
Source: Petra