Major food cost increases causing stress in Jordan...
Jordan king tells Cabinet curb food cost
news.yahoo.com
By JAMAL HALABY, Associated Press Writer
Tue Sep 11, 11:13 PM ET
A sudden jump in food prices ahead of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan prompted Jordan's king to warn his Cabinet Tuesday to find ways to curb the rise or resign.
King Abdullah II's reprimand came at a Cabinet meeting he chaired amid widespread complaints on prices of essential commodities which increased 10 to 60 percent this week.
The increases come at a sensitive time. During Ramadan, observant Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, but then often have large meals breaking the fast, with special foods and sweets.
"We must help people put food on their tables and your duty and obligation is to help me do that so that we can ease the burden on our citizens so that they can look forward to a better future," Abdullah told the 26-member Cabinet in remarks aired on state TV.
Days of widespread food riots in 1989 spurred Jordan to institute democratic reforms and liberalizations that gave the country one of the Arab world's freest presses and most open parliaments.
Abdullah reprimanded his Cabinet, saying some members seemed to be slackening in their duties amid rumors of a possible reshuffle.
"I want ministers to work hard until their last day in office. If there was any minister who feels that he cannot fulfill his duties, then he should resign from the government today," he said.
In the past week, some Jordanian merchants justified price hikes by citing rises in local animal feed costs or international oil prices. But government officials insisted the increase had little to do with either and that merchants were taking advantage of Ramadan to gouge prices.
Milk prices, for example, rose 10 percent to $1.40 a quart, while potatoes rose 60 percent to 51 cents a pound.
In the Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Marouf al-Bakhit told the king the government prepared a strategy to deal with the hikes. He said that included opening state-run retail shops to all citizens. The shops normally provide services to military personnel and civil servants only. He said items there would be sold cheaper than regular market prices.
Al-Bakhit also said that the government will facilitate direct purchases by consumers of fruits and vegetables from farmers without middlemen. |
