Draft law on inspection of economic activities endorsed

AMMAN — The Lower House on Tuesday endorsed the 2017 draft law on the monitoring and inspection of economic activities.

The Chamber endorsed four items of the law, refusing to include media activities in the definition of economic activity, which includes industrial, commercial, agricultural, tourist, handicraft, service, health and ICT activities, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Under the law, which will go into effect 180 days after being published in the Official Gazette, a “higher committee to develop the inspection of businesses” will be formed under the presidency of the minister of industry, trade and supply and the membership of relevant institutions and representatives of the private sector. 

The committee will act as a national umbrella to design inspection policies and to coordinate inspection efforts among concerned institutions, Petra reported.

The law will also unify inspection regulations and limit the duplication of efforts of the official departments’ authorities tasked with monitoring and inspecting economic activities, without cancelling the role of any department.

The law will organise inspection regulations in the sectors of public health, food and medicine safety, labour rights, environment, vocational licensing, work safety and fire-related safety procedures, among others, the news agency noted.

MPs insisted that inspectors must have a university degree related to their tasks, undergo theoretical and practical training, and sign a special code of conduct for inspectors to guarantee their neutrality and transparency. 

Deputies refused imposing a fine ranging between JD100 and JD500 on those who violate the law or any other relevant regulation.

The draft law also calls on inspection institutions to rectify the status of the department of inspection, inspectors and current inspection committees within six months after the law goes into effect.