School reopening to go ahead as scheduled — media minister

AMMAN — The 2020-2021 school year will start on September 1, Minister of State for Media Affairs Amjad Adaileh affirmed on Wednesday, stressing the resumption of educational activities as usual, in accordance with the Education Ministry's back-to-school plan. 

 "The government will not accept bullying and compromising students' future," he said during a phone call with a local radio station, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

He said that the government's efforts are focused on combating tax evasion and preventing wasteful expenditures, assuring that no new taxes will be imposed.

Adaileh said that a total of 643 inspection tours were carried out to combat tax evasion during the first six months of 2020, which resulted in detecting tax differences totalling JD371 million, reviewing the government's efforts to combat tax evasion. 

He noted that all collected money will be channelled towards the Treasury to be allocated for priority programmes, notably bread subsidy, which will be disbursed after Eid Al Adha holiday. 

Adaileh also said that airports will be reopened during the first half of August for "green countries", nations deemed low-risk for the pandemic. 

He noted that the government is following up on the developments in the epidemiological situation of these countries.

The government is focusing on the return of Jordanians stranded abroad, "but what hinders the move is the placement of quarantine sites", highlighting the success of restrictive measures imposed on the arrivals to the Kingdom, which helped in containing the virus.