Upper House endorses integrity and anti-corruption draft law

AMMAN — The Senate on Sunday endorsed the 2015 draft integrity and anti-corruption law with no changes as referred from the Lower House, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Under the law, the Audit Bureau and the Anti-Corruption Commission will be integrated into one administrative and financially independent entity called the national centre for integrity and anti-corruption, Petra added.

As per the bill, abuse of public office, ill-gained fortunes, bribery, "wasta" (using personal connections to obtain favours or posts) and other practices are classified as corruption.
The law also stipulates that a specialised prosecutor general, appointed by the Higher Judicial Council, will look into corruption-related cases referred by the envisioned commission, Petra reported.

Also under the law, people can file complaints against public agencies for their failure to comply with the principles of the National Integrity Charter.
Passing the law last week, some MPs requested that the envisioned entity be subject to the Chamber's monitoring like the Audit Bureau.
Under lawmakers' amendments to the draft law, the envisioned commission will be managed and supervised by a president and four board members, "none of whom should hold dual citizenship".
Under the law, the commission's president and board members will be appointed by a Royal Decree under a recommendation by the prime minister.

Also on Sunday, the Upper House passed the Public Transportation Law, which was referred to the Lower House in 2010.

The law stipulates the establishment of a national fund used to the sector through providing grants and loans to operators, according to Petra.

Deliberating the law on March 15, MPs recommended that more incentives and exemptions be granted to investors and that the mandatory auto insurance system to be revisited, maintaining that such measures would have a positive impact on the public transportation sector.

Also on Sunday, the Lower House began its deliberations over the 2015 draft drugs and psychotropic substances law.

The law aims at addressing the issue of drugs in a more comprehensive manner, banning the import of chemical substances used in the illegal synthesis of narcotics, Petra reported.

In its examination of the law, the House's Legal Committee previously added a provision stiffening penalties on drug-related crimes.

The House turned down a proposal by some MPs to include "liquor" among the prohibited substances listed in the law, according to Petra.

Twenty-five lawmakers submitted a memorandum requesting a general session to discuss what they described as the "deteriorating" education, health and services sectors in the Kingdom, Petra said.

In another memorandum, 18 MPs requested that Article 5 of the Acquisition Law be revisited so that citizens, whose lands are wanted by the state to implement public projects, can have them back once they are no longer used as a public utility.