Royal directives: Public Works Ministry chalks out plan to resume work in construction sector

AMMAN — Minister of Public Works and Housing Falah Omoush on Monday said that, in implementation of His Majesty King Abdullah’s directives, the ministry has established a plan to resume work in the construction sector.

The plan aims to help the construction sector weatherthe coronavirus crisis, as it is linked to dozens of other sectors and employs Jordanian labour, he said.

According to the minister, the ministry started receiving requests to resume construction projects for the public and private sectors. He added that work will resume on private sector projects starting next week according to conditions and standards that take into account public safety.

Requests will be received by e-mail at the Ministry of Public Works and Housing, he added.

Last week, the ministry resumed work on five important strategic projects, namely Al Bashir Hospital emergency building project, the Desert Highway project, the Amman-Zarqa Bus Rapid Transitproject, the Dead Sea bridges project and the Hadalat Road project, Omoush said.

He added that the ministry is studying the requests and assessing the distance of projects from population centres and their conformity with the conditions established in coordination with the ministries of Health and Labour.

The minister said that construction projects in the private sector must have a completion rate of not less than 90 per cent and that the area of ​​the project must provide no less than 40 square metres per worker.

He added that the percentage of Jordanian employees working on the project must not be less than 75 per cent.

The project must also present its planned activities, a timetable for their implementation and a certificate that guarantees that all personnel involved are COVID-19 negative.

The project must be in compliance with the requirements of the official regulatory authorities and the announced curfew times, Omoush added.

In order for engineering and consultingestablishments to be permitted to resume work, the working staff must not exceed 25 per cent of the establishment’s originalstaff, at a minimum of three workers, he said.

He added that the area of ​​the office space must provide no less than 15 square metres per person.

Omoush noted that this plan is a “practical exercise” for the partnership between the public and private sectors, as it was developed in cooperation with the Jordanian Construction Contractors Association, the Jordan Engineers Association, the consultation offices commission and the Jordan Housing Developers Association.