Jordan: Price of Water, Other Basics Rises 75.5 Percent Over 10 Years

— The average price of basic commodities in Jordan, including water, has risen 75.5 percent over the past 10 years. A study by the country's Consumer Protection Society said the average price of 115 basic commodities and services, including water, vegetables and fruits, meat, basic food items, rice, sugar, drugs, oil derivatives, electricity and transportation, all had increased. Consumer Protection Society chair Mohammad Obeidat said basic commodities and services account for 90 percent of Jordanian families' consumption and expenditures. He said the sharp increases prices for these goods and services "was not accompanied by adequate salary raises over the past 10 years...