Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit on Monday said the government was working to draft a new income tax law that seeks to curb evasion, improve tax collecting and ensure justice in taxpaying.

Bakhit was responding to an April 13 letter by King Abdullah, who called on the government to reconsider tax regulations and come up with new taxation mechanisms to make sure the wealthy shoulder the largest burden of this national duty.

In a letter to King Abdullah, Bakhit reviewed government measures to offset the impact of rising fuel prices on citizens.

He said the government was working to establish a “social solidarity commission.”

The King wanted the commission to serve as an umbrella organization overseeing and coordinating the work of all state agencies concerned with aiding the poor.

The suggested body, Bakhit said, seeks to ensure the best possible coordination between state and private development funds as well as charities to prevent duality and confusion in aid distribution.

Also in his letter, Bakhit said the government was following up on plans to build thousands of housing units for poor families as directed by King Abdullah to include 2,000 beneficiaries.

The Jordan Times