Khaberni - The House of Representatives listens, during a morning session, on Tuesday, to the general budget speech for the year 2026, delivered by the Minister of Finance, Abdul Hakim Al-Shibli.
The council also begins, starting from Tuesday, the election of its permanent committees according to the provisions of Article (38) of the internal regulations of the council; which include the Legal Committee, the Financial Committee, the Economic and Investment Committee, the Foreign Affairs Committee, the Administrative Committee, the Education and Teaching Committee, the Youth, Sports, and Culture Committee, the National Guidance and Media Committee, the Health and Food Committee, the Agriculture and Water Committee, the Environment and Climate Committee, and the Labor, Social Development, and Population Committee.
This also includes; the Energy and Mineral Resources Committee, the Public Services and Transport Committee, the Tourism and Antiquities Committee, the Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship Committee, the Public Freedoms and Human Rights Committee, the Women and Family Affairs Committee, the Countryside and Badia Committee, and the Palestine Committee.
Al-Shibli told "Al-Mamlaka" on Thursday that the expected deficit in the general budget bill for the fiscal year 2026 would reach 2.125 billion dinars, or 4.6% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with a decrease of 125 million dinars from the levels of 2025.
He clarified that the decrease was due to structural measures on the revenue and expenditure sides, alongside improvements in collection and broadening of the tax base without imposing new taxes.
Al-Shibli noted that the size of the general budget is 13 billion dinars, explaining that the local revenues in the budget increased to 10196 million dinars, resulting from increased economic growth, while the current expenditures amounted to 11456 million dinars and the capital expenditures to 1600 million dinars.
He emphasized that "no new taxes will be imposed" in the 2026 budget, stressing that the government continues its financial reform approach and enhances social protection and financing priority capital projects.
He explained that the expected increase in revenues correlates with the anticipated economic growth in the 2026 budget. He mentioned that about 750 million dinars worth of grants are expected in the 2026 budget, with grant levels remaining unchanged in the coming year, despite a relative decline to local revenues. This indicates an improvement in revenue collection. He pointed out that there has been an increase in capital expenditures in the upcoming budget by approximately 230 million dinars compared to the 2025 budget.
The minister referred to the improvement in covering operating expenses from local revenues while the Jordanian economy continues to rely more on its internal resources compared to previous years.
He confirmed the ongoing government strategy of replacing high-cost debt with less costly debt, explaining that the government recently succeeded in issuing international bonds worth 700 million dinars at a competitive interest rate, "the lowest in the history of Jordan," compared to previous bonds which had interest rates exceeding 7.5%. He pointed out that refinancing operations saved about 175 basis points of debt interests, reflecting international institutions' confidence in Jordan's economy and its stability.
* General Budget Bill
Last Wednesday, the Cabinet approved the general budget bill for the fiscal year 2026, which is based on elements and assumptions including the expectation of continued real economic growth from 2.7% in 2025 to 2.9% in 2026, and to more than 3% in 2027 and 2028, as a result of the implementation of major capital projects such as the national water desalination carrier project, the railway project, and gas exploration and transportation projects.
It also anticipates inflation rates to remain low at around 2% in the years 2026, 2027, and 2028, which are the lowest at the regional level.
Based on revenue and expenditure assumptions, the total deficit in the 2026 budget is expected to decrease to about 2125 million dinars, or 4.6% of the Gross Domestic Product compared to the estimated deficit in 2025, which reached 2258 million dinars or 5.2% of Gross Domestic Product.
The general budget for 2026 aims to achieve a set of goals, most notably; implementing the requirements of the economic modernization vision and the strategic projects included therein, being the state's plan transcending governments, and continuing to execute the economic and financial reform program, enhancing financial and economic sustainability.
On the financial objectives front, the budget focused on continuing the gradual reduction of the total deficit and public debt as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product, enhancing the increase in coverage of local revenues for current expenses, the continuation of providing support for bread and gas cylinders, and financing social protection in all its branches, covering the costs of cancer treatment for Jordanian patients.
* Key Indicators of the Budget
Indicators of the 2026 budget project show an increase in local revenues to 10196 million dinars, as a result of increased economic growth, noting that revenues for 2025 were re-estimated with a decrease of 200 million dinars due to developments in the regional situation and the Iranian-Israeli war.
In addition, current expenditures rose
