AMMAN, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of Jordanians held a strike on Wednesday in protest of the newly endorsed income tax draft law.
The strike involves members of all associations including doctors, journalists, teachers, lawyers, pharmacists, unionists and politicians, who staged a major sit-in at the headquarters of Professional Associations in the capital Amman.
Holding Jordanian flags and banners slamming the income tax law, the strikers demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Hani Mulki and dissolution of the Lower House.
Meanwhile, hospitals, pharmacies, stores and other facilities in Amman temporarily closed as part of the protests.
Mohammad Salem, a doctor from a public hospital, expressed his dismay at the government's inability to solve social problems.
"Whenever the government is in trouble, it resorts to our pockets to solve these problems. This is unacceptable and we cannot tolerate the situation," Salem told Xinhua.
Hamza Ali, a civil engineer, echoed similar criticisms against the government.
"Our salaries are shrinking and the cost of living is going up. The government should think of other solutions to address the public debt other than our pockets," Ali said.
"We should not be silent. If we are silent, the government will continue to increase taxes," he added.
Last week, the Jordanian government endorsed the income tax draft law as part of a comprehensive economic and financial reform for self-reliance and a stronger economy.
The bill mainly aims to improve tax collection, curb tax evasion and boost tax revenues, which are expected to increase by 300 million Jordanian dinars (423 million U.S. dollars) annually.
In addition, the proportion of income taxpayers in Jordan is expected to rise from 4.5 percent to 10 percent once the bill is enacted.
