The Amman Chamber of Commerce said the government’s recent decision to lower energy prices for businesses across several sectors should significantly boost their competitiveness and revenue.

The chamber’s chairman, Issa Murad, welcomed the move, calling the high cost of energy a “burden” on the country’s private sectors, including the commercial and services sectors. “Both sectors pay high electricity bills and the cost of energy has become a burden on all retailers,” Murad told Venture. “Just like the industrial sector, for us energy is very important. Today, people choose to shop at malls that pay high energy prices.”

The government last month decided to reduce energy prices for a number of sectors, including a reduction of 6 to 9 fils per kWh for the commercial sector, and 27 fils per kWh for the mining and telecommunications sectors.

The revised prices aim to help these businesses hedge against rising economic difficulties and closure in neighboring markets, the government said.