Irbid, April 16 (Petra) – Minister of Local Administration Walid Al-Masri said on Monday the government will not raise the tax on real estate, explaining that it passed the draft building and land tax law to the Lower House in line with a comprehensive reform vision, and not to raise the burden on citizens.

He told a dialogue session at Bani Obeid Municipality that the government had recently taken numerous "corrective" measures that benefit citizens, including amending customs duties on electric vehicles, tax reconciliations and income and sales tax exemptions.

It is unreasonable for the government to pass a law to collect additional funds for municipalities, while citizens across the Kingdom have JD120 million in property tax debts, he said.

The minister said work on the draft legislation began in 2023 with the aim of achieving justice, stimulate investment, and maximize growth within the vision of partnership with the private sector.

He said the draft primarily concerns municipalities and aims to eliminate arbitrary assessments and human intervention in taxation.

The law, Al-Masri noted, is now "the property" of the legislative authority, reiterating the government's pledge not to impose any new taxes, but rather reduce them. He cited 12 recent government decisions that had direct benefits to citizens, some to the detriment of the treasury and municipal revenues, such as customs, licensing, public transport, among others.

He reiterated the draft is to update an old law and introduce a fairer tax system that safeguards the rights of a municipality, a landlord, a tenant, and an investor, and separates a building's value from rental revenue.

The minister also pointed out that the draft offers higher incentives and discounts to citizens, including a discount on the full tax amount, including education and sewage fees.

//Petra//SS


16/04/2025 16:54:45