Jordan's King Abdullah appointed Omar al-Razzaz, a former World Bank economist, to form a new government, Reuters reported June 5. He also called for a dialogue over a planned income tax law, which had sparked the country's biggest protests in years.
The king appointed Razzaz after accepting Hani Mulki's resignation as prime minister.
Abdullah said the new cabinet must review the tax system and initiate talks over the draft income tax law, which should include civil society groups, political parties and unions, said Reuters.
"Your government's priority must be to launch the potential of the Jordanian economy ... to restore its ability for growth and providing job opportunities," the king said in a letter appointing Razzaz. Unemployment rate in Jordan stands at 18.4%, according to government statistics.
The king blamed regional instability for Jordan's current sluggish economy. He said that Jordanians, already strained by increases in bread prices and tax changes, were burdened by the reforms.
In 2016, the International Monetary Fund agreed to a three-year arrangement with Jordan to support financial and economic reform but the public resisted the measures.
