Municipal Debt and Financial Dependence in Jordan: The Case of Zarqa
Abstract
The political system in Jordan features 101 municipalities. More than half of Jordan’s municipalities are currently experiencing an acute deficit and concomitant high degree of indebtedness. In 2017, the total municipal debt amounted to 130 million dinars. Many municipalities spend most of their budget on municipal employees’ salaries, which highly restrains their scope of action in the face of indebtedness. Zarqa, the second most populated city after Amman, is a case in point...