Jordanian King orders freeze on price hikes

The Jordanian monarch, King Abdullah II, ordered his Prime Minister Hani Al-Mulki to freeze the government’s decision to raise the prices of fuel and electricity for the month of June.

Jordanian Prime Minister Hani Al-Mulki summoned ministers and directed them to freeze the decisions of the Pricing Committee to raise fuel and electricity tariffs for the month of June, which would cost the treasury 16 million dinars.

Al-Mulki said in a letter to the ministers, published by the Jordanian News Agency, that “under the guidance of his Majesty King Abdullah II, we decided to suspend the Committee’s price hikes on fuel because of the economic conditions in the month of Ramadan, despite the high oil prices globally after the average price of a barrel of oil reached $ 77 in May.”

Protests spread across the provinces of Jordan immediately after the announcement of the price hikes on fuel derivatives. Facebook activists launched the campaign “Park and Turn off your Car on the Fourth Floor” in front of the Jordanian government headquarters in Amman, and it has been circulated in several provinces.

Despite the tight security measures, Jordanian citizens rallied on Thursday night, and chanted slogans calling for economic reform and resignation of the government. They urged citizens to protest against the price increases.