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AMMAN — Experts in economy and employers' rights on Saturday commended the government's announcement, made on Thursday, concerning salary hikes for public servants and military personnel and pension increases for civil and military retirees.

"For the government to change its direction, even if temporarily, by turning from imposing taxes to giving incentives to public sector and military personnel and retirees, is certainly a positive step," Economist Husam Ayesh told The Jordan Times over the phone.

Although the government promised not to increase taxes in 2020, Ayesh said that there “still needs to be a science-based analysis” of the sales tax in order to reconstruct it in a certain way.

"Sales tax can be reduced on commodities that are most in demand by the low-income segment, and increased on commodities that are most in demand by those with high incomes," he explained.

The economist said that, although the third bundle is a “positive step forward”, the four-package programme as a whole needs to be a "continuous march forward" to produce positive results. However, he said, this requires an extra package that frames the government's plans to address the Kingdom's budget deficit and debt.

"The deficit after grants reached JD1.25 billion, which is 100 per cent more than what the government forecast for the deficit in the budget of 2019, which leads to extra costs that the economy and the people will shoulder," Ayesh said, adding that any miscalculation in the budget will bring about "dangerous and negative results".

According to Ayesh, the estimations and predictions for the 2020 budget have to be precise. He expressed hopes that the economic reform process as a whole will not be consumed by paying off debts and interests, which is why, he said, a fifth part of the programme is necessary to manage debt.

The Phenix Centre for Economic and Informatics Studies also shared its analysis in a statement with The Jordan Times, in which it said that the government's decision impacts workers' salaries and retirees' pensions positively, especially as their livelihoods have regressed in the past few years.

However, the centre also called for significantly increasing the minimum wage, which it considers a pressing need, noting that the most recent minimum wage increase occurred around three years ago, according to the statement. 

The latest increase brought the minimum wage to JD220, which is “disproportionate to the high cost of living in the Kingdom”, made even higher by price increases of around 10 per cent since the last amendment, the statement said. 

"Minimum wage is a social indicator, the responsibility for determining which is handled by the government to ensure the lowest income provides a respectable life for workers and their families," the statement read, adding that the majority of workers and retirees in Jordan are from the private sector. 

The statement also noted that minimum wage levels in the Kingdom have not followed the pattern existing in most countries around the world, where minimum wage is tied to the absolute poverty line, dependency rates and the increase of living costs.

Addressing the popular belief that the private sector will be pressured if wages are increased, the statement suggests that, in truth, most pressure comes from operational, energy and production costs, which have nothing to do with workers.

Moreover, the statement said, increasing the minimum wage means, for the medium and long term, that demand on commodities and services provided by private sector companies will increase, which will, in turn, boost profits. 

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a March Criminal Court ruling sentencing four men to prison terms ranging from five to 15 years in prison after convicting them of engaging in sexual activities with a minor in Amman in January 2018.

The court declared three of the four defendants guilty of engaging in consensual sexual activities with a 13-year-old girl on January 8 and handed them a 15-year prison sentence each for the charge.

The fourth defendant was handed a five-year prison term after being convicted of molesting the minor. 

Court papers said the victim had a fight with her father on the night of the incident and left her house.

“The victim walked aimlessly in the street and was picked up by one of the defendants who took her to a deserted area where he engaged in sexual activities with her in his car,” according to the court transcripts.

The defendant called the three of his friends and then headed to a deserted house, the court documents stated.

“The defendants also engaged in sexual activities with the minor,” court papers added. 

The victim was later found by police, who alerted her family and the four defendants were arrested, according to court documents.

The Criminal Court’s attorney general asked the higher court to uphold the sentences against the four defendants.

Meanwhile, the defendants all pleaded “not guilty” to the charges and maintained their innocence arguing that the victim “presented inconsistent testimonies” against them during the court hearings.

However, the higher court ruled that the Criminal Court proceedings were accurate and that the defendants were given appropriate punishments.

“The DNA tests indicated that samples taken from the victim’s body and clothes matched the four defendants and therefore, they deserve the punishment,” the higher court ruled.

The Court of Cassation judges were Mohammad Ibrahim, Naji Zu’bi, Hammad Ghzawi, Yassin Abdullat and Majid Azab.

AMMAN — The exports of the Amman Chamber of Industry (ACI) in the first 11 months of the year exceeded JD4 billion, driven by the increase in exports from seven industrial sectors.

The value of ACI exports in the January-November period of 2019 stood at JD4.142 billion, up by 7.4 per cent from the JD3.856 billion recorded during the same period of 2018, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Friday.

India, Saudi Arabia, the US and Iraq accounted for more than half of the value of the exports, amounting to some JD2.167 billion. 

The chamber's exports to India during 2019’s first 11 months reached JD627 million, making it the country to receive the most ACI exports in terms of value and marking an increase of 10 per cent compared with the JD571 million of the January-November period in 2018.

Saudi Arabia received JD546-million worth of ACI goods during the first 11 months of 2019, registering an increase of 20 per cent when compared with the same period of 2018, in which the value of exports stood at JD453 million. 

The value of the chamber's exports to the US in the January-November period of 2019 recorded an increase of 9 per cent, standing at JD505 million, up from JD463 million in 2018. 

Meanwhile, ACI exports to the Iraqi market dropped by 9 per cent to JD490 million, down from JD537 million in the first 11 months of 2018. 

Exports of the chamber included JD1.033 billion from the mining industries sector, JD844 from the chemical and cosmetics sector and JD583 million from the medical supplies sector. 

AMMAN — The government on Thursday announced the third of four executive packages to improve the national economy, which focuses on increasing the salaries of employees and retirees in the public sector and the military. 

Unveiling the incentives bundle, Prime Minister Omar Razzaz said that the third package "has the biggest direct impact" as it benefits 700,000 Jordanians.

Reiterating updates on the first two packages, which tackled stimulating investments and the economy as well as addressing managerial sloppiness, Razzaz said the government is still looking into the number of directors and commissioners at certain companies and commissions. 

The two packages have had a direct impact on citizens, as, for example, the prices of certain cars went down by an average of JD2,800, Razzaz said, noting that in regards to the third package, the last time a direct increase was made to salaries was in 2010.

Razzaz said discussions began in November of 2018 under Royal directives with all involved parties, with the aim of improving the living conditions of public sector employees by linking their wages to performance. 

In April of 2019, committees that included all partners representing professional associations and specialised committees from the Lower House worked together to review the civil service by-law, while in October the increase of salaries of military retirees and their heirs was endorsed by a Royal Decree, the premier said.

Also in October, an agreement was reached to increase the salaries of teachers, he added.

In October, the government announced its comprehensive programme comprising four packages: Stimulating the economy and investments, management and financial reform, improving citizens’ livelihoods and improving services comprehensively.

The first package provided incentives in the real-estate sector, focused on boosting exports and production and introduced measures to improve labour and employment for Jordanians. 

The second package lowered taxes on electric cars, removed the vehicle weight tax, reduced and controlled government purchases and resolved bureaucracy issues. 

AMMAN — Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) and Partners for Good on Thursday signed a cooperation agreement to develop a mobile app for registering complaints.

ASEZA Chief Commissioner Nayef Bakhit said that this new partnership between the public and private sectors will “better the zone’s institutional performance”, as the app will contribute to enhancing transparency, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

The memo also aims at enhancing women’s economic participation in the ASEZA, he said, noting that the two sides agreed on launching a pilot of the “best workplaces for women” programme, which was developed by Partners for Good. 

AMMAN — The Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation (JHCO) and Qatar Charity on Wednesday signed three cooperation agreements in Doha. The agreements aim at providing support to the Kingdom’s refugees-hosting societies, which have been affected by the Syrian influxes, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The agreements entailed implementing a programme designed to support 600 orphans, as well as operating a Qatar comprehensive health centre in Zaatari Camp. Lauding Qatar charity’s support and confidence in the organisation, JHCO Secretary General Ayman Mefleh highlighted the JHCO’s endeavours to implement joint projects that produce beneficial outcomes for underprivileged Jordanian families and Syrian refugees alike.  

AMMAN — Demands are increasing to improve the work environment and living conditions of workers in the agriculture sector in light of the Southern Shouneh fire that claimed the lives of 13 Pakistani nationals and injured three others on Monday.

Director of the Phenix Centre for Economics and Informatics Studies Ahmad Awad told The Jordan Times on Thursday that demands for a by-law for agriculture workers have existed since the last amendment to the Labour Law in 2008. 

“Labour Ministry Secretary General Farouq Hadidi issued a statement on Thursday that drafts of the by-law have been prepared, and we are waiting for a chance to review them,” Awad said.

“We expected the government to notify and consult entities concerned with human and workers’ rights, like the General Union of Jordanian Farmers or civil society institutions,” he added.

He said that his personal estimate was that procedures to implement the by-law will be accelerated after the Shouneh fire, which resulted in criticisms directed at the Ministry of Labour for the “inadequacy of regulations” concerning agriculture workers, adding that there is "great pressure from society and the media, and I, optimistically, expect that 2020 will see more serious work from the ministry towards better regulations”.

He highlighted that if the government does not accelerate procedures to establish the by-law, "we will apply more pressure for acceleration”, adding that the by-law must be structured according to internationally recognised standard. 

He stressed that “the by-law must ensure expansive health and safety protection regulations, considering that most agriculture workers are ‘informal workers’ located in the Jordan Valley, which is known for its hot summers. The by-law must also entail minimum wage regulations and adhere to all Jordanian labour standards”.

Tamkeen Fields for Aid Centre, in a report published on their website on Thursday, criticised the lack of a by-law for agriculture workers and said that it contributes to "many violations and challenges" facing workers in terms of professional health and safety.

The report referred to the house that was occupied by the Pakistani nationals killed in the Shouneh fire, which was built from materials that accelerated the spread of flames, highlighting that it was merely one of many houses built in the "same hazardous way for workers in agriculture".

According to the report, before 2008 agriculture workers were explicitly excluded from the Labour Law, which only included engineers, veterinarians and public workers. 

However, in 2008, the Labour Law was amended concerning its application to agriculture workers, according to the report, and now covers “all workers” except for some categories, including agriculture workers, who will be under “special provisions” according to a by-law that was intended to be issued for this purpose. However, such a by-law is yet to be issued. 

“Accordingly, the current situation could be considered a legal loophole regarding the conditions of agriculture workers in Jordan,” the report added.

The report concluded that the lack of a by-law for agriculture workers renders them “vulnerable to exploitation”, and takes away their rights to fair wages, reasonable work hours and tools for general safety. It also deprives them of annual vacation time and sick leave, subscription to social security and other labour rights included in the Jordanian Labour Law.  

AMMAN — The UN on Thursday marked International Volunteer Day by celebrating and recognising volunteers worldwide who make a difference everyday in their communities.

More than 1 billion people globally are estimated to volunteer, making contributions worth 2.4 per cent of the global GDP, according to a statement from UN Volunteers.

In a remote area of South Sudan, Mary, an experienced midwife from Tanzania, delivers a baby as the first rays of sun stream into a UN clinic. Mary is a UN Volunteer dedicated to keeping mothers and newborns healthy. 

On the bustling streets of New York, Amari, a student in social justice from Iraq, urges an elderly man to seek shelter as the temperatures drop below zero. Amari volunteers 10 hours a week, committed to the local hypothermia prevention programme. 

“In so many areas of our lives we take volunteers for granted,” read the statement. 

When a natural disaster occurs, local volunteers are always the first ones to respond, risking their own lives to reduce the impact for others, the statement said. 

International Volunteer Day is a day to reflect on each and every volunteer action, and show appreciation, according to the statement. 

From China to the Dominican Republic, Zambia to Afghanistan, this year’s events focus on volunteering and inclusion. 

The current world challenges; whether climate change, poverty or the need for equality — require everyone to be involved.

“Volunteerism is a powerful mechanism to engage people, especially those left farthest behind, in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. When people volunteer, they connect with others and foster a sense of purpose,” the Secretary-General of the United Nations was quoted in the statement as saying on the occassion.

Through volunteerism, communities around the world often experience strengthened solidarity and inclusion. Volunteering also can help in recognition of the inherent respect for all people; regardless of gender, age, ethnic background, disability or sexuality. Through voluntary actions, people on the margins can become more included in societies, noted the statement.

For example, #HerStory initiative, with 500 volunteer editors throughout the Arab states, has increased the representation of women in the Arabic-language Wikipedia, achieving more gender inclusiveness in the culture of the region, according to the statement. 

UN Volunteers in the Accessible India Campaign augmented accessibility for people with disabilities by auditing 1,600 public buildings across 25 major cities. And in refugee camps across the globe, displaced people themselves are volunteering for children’s education and better intercultural understanding, the global body said in its statement.

International Volunteers Day (IVD), is an international observance that was mandated by the UN General Assembly in 1985. The day is an opportunity to promote volunteerism, encourage governments to support volunteer efforts and recognise volunteer contributions to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, according to the statement.

AMMAN — A number of distribution companies of water filtration systems have taken advantage of citizens’ lack of knowledge about water quality, leaving the companies’ sales agents to sell “unnecessary” filter cartridges to many families by bringing into question water quality standards pursued by the Water Authority in Jordan and the Jordan Water Company Miyahuna said.

Jordanian standards concerning water quality are in accordance with the World Health Organisation's (WHO) guidelines, and the Jordan Water Company (Miyahuna) relies on the information and standards provided by the WHO in carrying out periodic examinations, Director of Water Safety and Quality at Miyahuna Majida Zoubi told The Jordan Times on Wednesday.

“The water filter distributors are entitled to work, but not at the expense of stigmatising the censorship of Miyahuna, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Water and Irrigation,” Zoubi said.

Faucet water is "crisp and clean", as it is monitored by the Health and Water Ministries, the director said, adding that despite this, some water filtration companies persuade people to buy their so-called “purifiers”, a device with multiple rods which separates the minerals from water, leading citizens to believe that tap water from the Water Authority of Jordan (WAJ) is “highly contaminated”.

“The Total Dissolved Solids [TDS] represents the concentration of the substances that are found in water, such as sodium, calcium, magnesium and others that have permissible limits and levels depending on the Jordanian standards for water,” Zoubi stated.

Zoubi continued by saying that home water filtration systems are installed — not to enhance the quality of drinking water — but to improve its taste by filtering some minerals out of the water. 

She noted that some of the water filter distributors have also marketed their water treatment devices by convincing potential customers of the importance of using them.

The process of selling the filters begins with sales agents who come carrying portable electrolysis kits, operating experiments in front of potential buyers by passing electric currents through the water. These currents decompose the minerals in the water using electrodes made of iron, which oxidizes in the water, producing a brownish rust, water quality expert Nawal Sunna told The Jordan Times on Wednesday.

“They deceive people by scaring them with the murky brownish colours that result from the reaction of the minerals with electrodes, and the truth behind this show is that these minerals are essential for our bodies, and the drinking water that we receive from the WAJ follows the most stringent filtering and purifying processes,” Sunna noted.

These companies use Reverse Osmosis (RO) technologies, which they claim result in clean water. However, what actually happens is that RO, a process that uses membranes, layers of cells that allow certain substances to pass through, removes most of the nutrients that support the human body, Sunna added.  

One water filter distributor, who preferred not to be named, told the Jordan Times on Thursday over the phone that water filters are effective because they reduce TDS levels, which leads to improvements in taste, but that water filtration systems “do not get rid of bacteria”. 

“The quality of WAJ water is set according to high specifications, but unfortunately some companies send sales agents instead of water specialists to market their products in a way that will affect the credibility of our sector,” he added.

Mariana Said, who had water quality tests performed by a sales agent recently, said that she received a phone call from the agent offering to come and check her tap water quality. 

“The salesman brought a portable kit and asked me to give him tap and bottled drinking water. Then he immersed a device with rods into the two samples and at last rust and decay resulted, making me believe that both samples are contaminated and host various diseases,” Said told The Jordan Times on Wednesday.

"The company’s water filtration machinery costs more than JD380, and unfortunately, they make lots of people believe that the water from the WAJ does not conform to the standards," she said, adding: “What helped me realise that the salesman was misleading me is that I had a little background on water filtration.” 

AMMAN — Thailand is Jordan’s largest trading partner among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations countries, and potential remains “huge” for further growth, according to Thai Ambassador to Jordan Pornpong Kanittanon.

Bilateral trade exchange, which is in favour of Thailand, stands at about JD130 million, the ambassador said in a recent interview with The Jordan Times on the occasion of Thailand’s national day, which the embassy marked on Thursday, noting that increasing the volume of trade exchange requires more promotion and business to business networking.

“There is large room for boosting trade exchange,” he said. 

The ambassador, who noted that Thailand is a large importer of potash, phosphate and fertilisers as it has a “large and growing agricultural sector“, indicated that increased efforts are required by Jordan to promote further cooperation in this field and explore the Thai market.

Stressing that the two countries enjoy "distinguished relations" on the political level, he highlighted cooperation in the field of security as one of the key aspects of the relationship between the two countries, commending Jordan’s role in the war on terrorism.

Thailand, he continued, supports the Aqaba Process meetings, which "provide an important platform for exchanging experience and viewpoints and enhancing cooperation in the field of security". He also voiced appreciation for Jordan’s support to Thailand at the Organisation of Islamic Countries.

On tourism, the ambassador said the number of Thai tourists to Jordan is “on the rise”, noting that more than 10,000 Thai tourists visit Jordan every year and more than 12,000 Jordanians visit Thailand each year.