AMMAN - Two members of the recently formed economic National Dialogue Committee resigned on Saturday, claiming that the government set up the panel to create an "umbrella" for several upcoming unpopular decisions including increasing prices of fuel and electricity.
"We discovered that the government is going to use us in order to adopt certain decisions it cannot take alone," Salameh Darawi, managing editor of the economic desk in the daily Al Arab Al Yawm, told The Jordan Times yesterday.
He and his counterpart from Al Ghad daily Jumana Ghneimat withdrew from the 38-member committee, which was formed by Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit last week to pave the way for economic reform.
"We cannot agree to recommendations that go against our beliefs," Ghneimat told The Jordan Times over the phone.
She charged that the government wants to use the committee to ensure such decisions face no objections from the public.
However, committee member Michael Nazzal said the government did not propose increasing prices or lifting subsidies at all during the panel's first meeting last Thursday.
"I cannot find any reason for Darawi and Ghneimat to justify their withdrawal from the committee," he told The Jordan Times over the phone yesterday.
Members of the Cabinet's economic team present at the committee meeting, including Minister of Industry and Trade Hani Mulki, supported the point of view that focused on the need to maintain subsidies and avoid raising prices, he noted.
"We did not talk about any government decision to increase prices or lift subsidies," Nazzal said, indicating that the committee is moving ahead with its mission and will continue the dialogue over the aspired reforms in the national economy.
Darawi and Ghneimat issued a joint statement yesterday in which they explained the reasons behind their decision.
"As there are several parties that seek to harm Jordan through certain actions, we urge the government to avoid any unpopular decisions at the current stage," the statement said.
They called on the premier to wait before taking any decision to hike prices.
The government should study the impact of such decisions on the economy, including investment, tourism and other related sectors, the statement said, noting "whatever benefits the government gains from such decisions, will be lost several times over due to the instability they would cause".
Nazzal said any member who wants to protest against a recommendation can do so through the committee, not by leaving it.
Meanwhile, members of the panel sub-committees met yesterday and examined economic challenges related to their respective areas. They also discussed ways to increase the contributions of the various economic sectors to the economy, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.
During their meetings, they also stressed the importance of supporting local community institutions operating in the areas recognised as poverty pockets, and called for streamlining the process of drawing up legislation to stimulate investments, according to Petra.
On Thursday, the panel on economic dialogue named six main criteria and sectors to be examined by the sub-committees, in order to draw up short- and long-term solutions.
They are production and export, banking (including fiscal and financial issues), service, energy (including water and roads), human resources and social economy.
© Jordan Times 2011
