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2008 Assessment

Jordan: Integrity Indicators Scorecard

Jordan: Integrity Scorecard Report > Sub-Category: Budget Processes
Indicators		Score
40	Can the legislature provide input to the national budget?	42
41	Can citizens access the national budgetary process?	33
42	Is there a separate legislative committee which provides oversight of public funds?	100
43	Is the legislative committee overseeing the expenditure of public funds effective?	17

Indicator and sub-Indicator Details

Can the legislature provide input to the national budget?

40a: In law, the legislature can amend the budget.

Score:

YES

Comments:

References: Constitution Article 112 (iv): The National Assembly, when debating the General Budget draft law or the provisional laws relating thereof, may reduce the expenditures under the various chapters in accordance with what it considers to be in the public interest, but it shall not increase such expenditures either by amendment or by the submission of a separate proposal. However, the Assembly may after the close of the debate propose laws for the creation of new expenditures, [ LINK ].

40b: In practice, significant public expenditures require legislative approval.

Score:

100

$Scoring Criteria :: 100 Score Criteria: All significant government expenditures (defined as any project costing more than 1% of the total national budget), must be approved by the legislature. This includes defense and secret programs, which may be debated in closed hearings. <p>50 Score Criteria: Most significant government expenditures (as defined) are approved by the legislature, but some exceptions to this rule exist. This may include defense programs, an executive\'s personal budget, or other expenses. <p>0 Score Criteria: The legislature does not have the power to approve or disapprove large portions of the government budget, or the legislature does not exercise this power in a meaningful way.$

Comments: The legislative powers are limited to the approval of the annual budget in its combined form. The government is not required to obtain legislative approval to make itemized expenditures or changes.

References: Dr. Issam Suleiman, Comparative Report on the State of the Parliament in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Morocco, Arab Center for the Development of Rule of Law and Integrity, May 2007, [ LINK ])=ar.

40c: In practice, the legislature has sufficient capacity to monitor the budget process and provide input or changes.

Score:

100

Comments: In practice, the legislature only approves the budget and its amendments. It does not have the capacity to monitor the budget process and provide input or changes.

Peer Review Comments: Article 69 of the Internal Regulations for the Parliament and its amendments of 1996 states: "If one of the members requested an amendment to any draft law of one of the committees, he must provide a report to the president showing the suggested amendment and the reasons requiring it, and the president transfers the suggestion to a competent committee". And Article 72 of the Internal Regulations for the Parliament and its amendments of 1996 states that: "Any member who suggests an amendment to the original wording; an amendment to the amendment of the competent committee; or adding new articles, must provide his suggestion in writing to the chairman of the session. If he presented the suggestion prior to the issuance of the committee's decision, then the president transfers the suggestion to a competent committee, but if he presented the suggestion during the discussion, it will be discussed and decided on unless the decision was to transfer the suggestion to the committee to study it."

Can citizens access the national budgetary process?

41a: In practice, the national budgetary process is conducted in a transparent manner in the debating stage (i.e. before final approval).

Score:

100

Comments: Usually, the budget is prepared by the government exclusively, and no public discussions or debates take place before its approval.

41b: In practice, citizens provide input at budget hearings.

Score:

100

Comments: People are allowed to attend the budget hearings, but they are not allowed to participate in them.

41c: In practice, citizens can access itemized budget allocations.

Score:

100

Comments: Citizens, journalists and CSOs can access the gross budget described in the budget law on the official websites. On the other hand, itemized lists of budget allocations are difficult to access due to secrecy and prohibitive barriers.

References: Interview with Mohammad Abu Rumman, journalist, editor, Alghad daily newspaper.

2008 Budget Law #1/2008 [ LINK ].

Is there a separate legislative committee which provides oversight of public funds?

42: In law, is there a separate legislative committee which provides oversight of public funds?

Score:

YES

Comments: There is no such provision in the constitution. However, the internal bylaw of the Lower House of Parliament stipulates that the oversight role of public expenditure falls within the purview of the Finance Committee of the Lower House of Parliament.

References: Constitution, Chapter 7, [ LINK ].

Is the legislative committee overseeing the expenditure of public funds effective?

43a: In practice, department heads regularly submit reports to this committee.

Score:

100

Comments:

43b: In practice, the committee acts in a non-partisan manner with members of opposition parties serving on the committee in an equitable fashion.

Score:

100

$Scoring Criteria :: 100 Score Criteria: The committee is comprised of legislators from both the ruling party (or parties) and opposition parties in a roughly equitable distribution. All members of the committee -- including opposition party members -- are able to fully participate in the activities of the committee and influence the committee\'s work to roughly the same extent as any other member of the committee. <p>50 Score Criteria: The committee is comprised of legislators from both the ruling party (or parties) and opposition parties although the ruling party has a disproportionate share of committee seats. The chairperson of the committee may be overly influential and curb other members\' ability to shape the committee's activities. <p>0 Score Criteria: The committee is dominated by legislators of the ruling party and/or the committee chairperson. Opposition legislators serving on the committee have in practice no way to influence the work of the committee.$

Comments:

43c: In practice, when necessary, this committee initiates independent investigations into financial irregularities.

Score:

100

Comments: The financial committee does not initiate independent investigations into financial irregularities. It can only question the government about suspected cases of financial irregularity.