AMMAN — The Lower House on Monday embarked on deliberations over the draft general budget law for fiscal year 2026.

 

MP Awni Zoubi said the current phase requires plans based on practical measures, including expanding school construction, completing road projects, enhancing service digitalisation and ensuring a consistent water supply.

 

MP Tamara Nasereddin said the region is still dealing with the consequences of recent exceptional circumstances, noting that future projections call for careful assessment. She stressed that strengthening national resilience and stability requires maintaining modernisation paths in line with the Royal vision.

 

MP Hayel Ayash said the 2026 budget vision is built on establishing a resilient and robust economy supported by an efficient and flexible public sector, underscoring the importance of ensuring an attractive investment environment.

 

MP Samer Azaideh said national priorities require vital decisions, including addressing the conditions of daily wage workers and increasing allocations for investment projects.

 

MP Noor Abu Ghosh said nation-building has relied not on financial abundance, but on the determination and dedication of Jordanians, stressing that the state’s progress has been rooted in integrity and commitment to public interest.

 

MP Mohammad Sabaila underscored the need for the budget to stimulate growth and production, adopt policies that encourage public–private partnerships, and expand opportunities for youth in the labour market.

 

MP Jamil Dahisat highlighted the importance of an economy centred on serving citizens, boosting productivity and innovation, and supporting small enterprises.

 

MP Muhammad Aqel said economic, political and administrative modernisation tracks are interconnected and cannot advance in isolation, adding that overcoming economic challenges requires sustaining and strengthening political reforms.

 

MP Najmeh Al Hawawsheh said economic challenges necessitate moving into the implementation phase.

 

MP Mohammad Al Mahamid said accumulated economic challenges demand innovative solutions.

 

MP Abdul Nasser Khasawneh said expenditure control does not mean reducing services but improving their efficiency at the lowest possible cost, calling for reordering priorities to channel spending toward education, health and productive infrastructure.

 

MP Dina Bashir said the world is heading toward technical and vocational skills such as programming, artificial intelligence, renewable-energy application design and industrial automation, noting that these fields generate income and enhance competitiveness.

 

The 2026 draft state budget projects economic growth of 2.9 per cent, alongside a 16.8 per cent increase in capital spending, bringing the total to JD1.6 billion, with inflation remaining moderate at around 2 per cent.

 

Under the draft, the fiscal deficit is forecast to narrow to 4.6 per cent of GDP in 2026, compared with 5.2 per cent in 2025, while public debt is projected to decline gradually to 80 per cent of GDP by 2028.

 

Total public expenditure in 2026 is estimated at JD13.056 billion, marking a 6.4 per cent increase from 2025. Revenues are projected at JD10.931 billion, up 9.1 per cent, with local revenues expected to reach JD10.196 billion and foreign grants totalling JD735 million.