Raising taxes and borrowing money have always been justified by Jordanian governments by introducing to us a general “fact” that Jordan is scarce in resources.
I have to emphasize on one point here: this topic is most personal interest to me because it affects the lives of millions of Jordanian people, too. Jordan currently imports almost all its needs of energy consumption from abroad (i.e. 97%), and this costs Jordan a lot of money every year. The ratio has not changed significantly since 1971 when it was slightly above 99%. To insure the availability of the money required to buy Jordan’s energy needs from abroad, the government had no alternative but to raise taxes on people and borrow money. [1]
Raising taxes and borrowing money have always been justified by Jordanian governments, in the past and in the present, by introducing to us a general “fact” that Jordan is scarce in resources, as if we have no chance but to accept it! Jordanian debts increased from JD 9 billion in 2009 to more than JD 25 billion in 2017 that’s when the oil price increased significantly. [1]
I found some interesting speeches from previous Jordanian ministers and primer ministers who repeating the same old rhetoric: Jordan is scarce in resources. Check this out!
Hani Mulki, a Jordanian ex-prime minister, was addressing Jordanian youth on May 29th, 2018:
“The situation is difficult, there is no oil or resources in Jordan, but our resources are you.” [2]
Ayman Safadi, the current foreign minister of Jordan, delivered the following statement on April 14th, 2018:
“Jordan is scarce in resources but it has accomplished and overcome challenges because our wealth is our human being.” [3]
Hehadeh Abu Hudeib, the former Jordanian ninister of municipalities, said on June 28th, 2018:
“The huge size of refugees has exhausted all sectors and caused problems in natural resources, which are basically very scarce.” [4]
And I can keep adding more quotes on and on..
What is supposed to be a “fact” should not pass without challenge. I have to encounter all these statements and help create the change we want. Jordan does have natural resources and it can rely on them to cover its energy needs.
Now, let’s face it. How can Jordan save enormous amounts of money as a result of importing its energy needs? Can Jordan depend on another alternative energy source which it owns?
These questions and more are the topic of my next research.
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