“Based on a recommendation made by the Executive Privatisation Commission, the cabinet decided to halt privatisation procedures of the Jordan Silos and Supply General Company and the Jweideh Flour Mill Company,” says Nasser Judeh, Jordan’s minister of state for media affairs and communications.

Jordan’s government is struggling to control soaring prices. The Department of Statistics says that inflation was 10.8 per cent over the year to the end of March. Prices of dairy products and eggs rose 31.7 per cent (MEED 15:4:08).

The cabinet has also exempted meat from import duties and sales tax, as part of its efforts to ease inflationary pressures on basic foods.

The government will try and recover the cost of the lost tax receipts by increasing sales tax on alcohol and tobacco.