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Sales of Jordan's electronics slump amid low purchasing power

AMMAN
2022-10-13 03:38

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AMMAN, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Sales of electrical and electronic devices in Jordan declined by about 50 percent in the first nine months of 2022 compared to the same period of last year, as the consumer purchasing power is weak, according to the Jordan Chamber of Commerce (JCC).

Besides, the number of merchants dealing in electrical and electronic devices now exceeds 3,000, with fierce competition and the overstock in importers' warehouses, noted Hatem Zoubi, a representative of the electrical and electronics sector at the JCC, in a recent JCC statement.

The decline in sales is "harsh and unprecedented," he said.

Sara Ahmad, the economic news editor at the Jordan Press Foundation, told Xinhua that many Jordanians now "only spend on basic commodities," as "living cost has been on the rise" and "prices of all commodities have increased," especially when the COVID-19 pandemic lingers on.

Annual inflation in Jordan rose to 5.36 percent in August, the highest monthly figure since 2018, according to Jordan's Department of Statistics.

Adel Khaleel, an employee at an electronic store in downtown Amman, said prices of electronics have been on the decline since the beginning of this year, but demand is still low.

"If you look around, most of the electronics shops have discounts and offers so if you buy a blinder, you get a power bank for free for example. Most of the shops have similar offers to encourage people to buy, but people only buy electronics when they really need them," Khaleel told Xinhua.

To reduce the burden on merchants in the sector, Zoubi called on the government to grant tax exemptions for the electrical and electronic sector that cover both customs tariffs ranging between 15 percent to 25 percent and sales tax up to 16 percent.
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