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Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
Politics
Al Jazeera and news agencies

New Jordan PM pledges to scrap controversial income tax bill

New Jordan PM pledges to scrap controversial income tax bill

Jordan's new Prime Minister Omar al-Razzaz on Thursday announced his government would repeal a controversial income tax bill once he is sworn in by King Abdullah II.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting in the Jordanian parliament, Razzaz said there was a consensus on withdrawing the tax bill that sparked nationwide protests that began last week and had been introduced as part of International Monetary Fund-backed economic reforms.

The king appointed al-Razzaz as the new prime minister on Tuesday and tasked him with reviewing the tax plan and launching a national dialogue with unions and civil society groups.

But protesters demanded the proposed law be scrapped entirely, adding that a cabinet reshuffle was not enough to raise living standards.

The government's economic reform measures are the latest in a series of economic changes since Amman secured a $723m three-year credit line from the IMF in 2016.

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