Jordanians Abroad May Pay $10,000 for Military Exemption
The Jordanian government has decided to sell exemption from military service to citizens working abroad.
The cost of exemption is likely to be about $10,000 payable in foreign currency, a Cabinet minister who declined to be named said Sunday. The decision, made at a Cabinet meeting Saturday, will also allow overseas workers to buy exemptions for their sons.
The buyout has often been requested by spokesmen for 375,000 Jordanians employed abroad, most of whom live in Persian Gulf oil states. The government, burdened with foreign debt, needs the cash.
Compulsory military service lasts two years.
An amendment to the conscription law to be presented to Parliament will allow the Cabinet to fix the price, the minister said.
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