Labor Watch - Farmers continued their sit-in for the second day in front of the House of Representatives to protest against the recent tax imposed on inputs and outputs of the agricultural sector.
The farmers carried slogans calling for the government to annul its decision, warning that if the government carries on with the decision, they will resort to the judiciary to limit the negative consequences of this “illegal decision” and stop the supply of agricultural products to central markets.
The farmers stressed that the farmer can no longer import if the government continues this illegal decision, and with the taxes they pays, since there is no minimum price and no determination of the selling price, not to mention the speed of damage to crops, and the inability to store. Imposing the tax according to a statement issued by farmers will limit the use of and trade in agricultural technologies and machineries, and it will also cost Jordan the loss of its international markets and compromise the competitiveness that the country’s agricultural produce enjoy abroad. And will also discourage investment in agriculture, destroy the income of many families and cause a hike in prices of food commodities and agricultural produce The small farmers will be highly affected by the decision which will force them to abandon cultivation, leading to an increase in imports of food commodities and a rise in trade deficit.
The decision will also harm small families dependent on small farming and force small agricultural companies out of business.
“The protest came to demand the cancellation of the tax and to demand the resignation of the government because its policies are destroying the agricultural sector as a whole,” said secretary of the Farmers' Union and the spokesman for the federation Jamal Masalha.
He stressed that the protest will be open until the government annul the decisions related to the agricultural sector, including the removal of the unified tax of 10 per cent on certain fruits, vegetables and agricultural machineries”.