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AMMAN — The 2020 budget will reconsider salaries and wages in the public sector that have not been increased for 10 years, and link them to clear standards to assess the performance of public employees, Prime Minister Omar Razzaz said on Wednesday. 

Meeting with university students over the general budget and priorities of the government, Razzaz said that the budget aims at maintaining economic and financial stability and stimulating an economic growth that can lead to providing jobs for youth, increasing capital investments and improving services. 

The budget’s general goal over the next few years is to achieve an equation where local revenues cover the basic expenditures of the state, the premier said, adding that while this goal might not be reached within one or two years, there must be a clear plan to attain it, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

During the meeting, hosted by the University of Jordan's Centre for Strategic Studies (CSS), Razzaz stressed the need to decrease the budget deficit and not use grants and loans to cover current expenditures. 

The prime minister noted that 65 per cent of the expenditures in the budget are current spending, while capital expenditures that contribute to development and employment only constitute 14 per cent, highlighting the need to increase capital spending. 

Regarding the decrease in local revenues in the 2019 budget, Razzaz attributed this drop to large amounts of smuggled tobacco and tax evasion.

He also said that the government “faced a lot of negative opinions” after endorsing the Income Tax Law, which went into effect at the beginning of the year. 

The prime minister added that the law was essential to ensure stability in the tax structural system until balance is reached between expenditures and revenues according to a progressive tax system, as stipulated in the Constitution. 

In 2020, income tax is envisioned to “start achieving results” through collecting levies from included companies and individuals, the premier said, adding that the 2020 budget has “more realistic predictions and strategies” for combatting tax and customs evasions. 

As for rumours and their negative impact on society, Razzaz highlighted the responsibility of the government to provide the correct information at the right time.

For his part, CSS Director Zeid Iyadat commended the premier’s “unprecedented initiative” in discussing the budget as the government is preparing it and identifying priorities.  

AMMAN — HRH Prince Ghazi, Chief Advisor to His Majesty for Religious and Cultural Affairs and Personal Envoy of His Majesty, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Baptism Site Commission, has met with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin at the Jordanian Ambassador’s Residence in London.

The meeting, which was requested by the Israeli side and had been arranged months in advance, was held in order to discuss the subject of the Baptism Site of Jesus Christ. The world’s Churches, in addition to UNESCO, have concluded that the site of Jesus’ Baptism is east of the Jordan River on the Jordanian side, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

AMMAN —  Coinciding with the 20th anniversary of His Majesty King Abdullah's assumption of constitutional powers, the opening ceremony of the 20th National Olive Festival was held on Wednesday with the aim of supporting the agricultural sector in Jordan, empowering rural families to improve their living situations and promoting olive-based products.   

Deputising for His Majesty, Agriculture Minister Ibrahim Shehadeh expressed appreciation for the cooperation between traders, farmers and consumers for the benefit of the national interest. 

He added that supporting the agricultural sector leads to enhancing the national economy, as it “influences all sectors”.

He voiced gratitude for all supporters, partners and participants who “contributed to the success of the festival”. 

The festival this year covered 4.5 dunums at Al Hussein Public Parks, allowing over 600 people to participate in the event, according to festival director Mawya Mufti. 

The olive oil showcased at the festival was previously examined twice by the ministry's and partners' staff members, who classified it as virgin and extra-virgin olive oil, Mufti said, adding that consumers also have the opportunity to reexamine the oil after purchasing it at the exhibition.

This year, the festival will also provide visitors with guidance and awareness services to introduce them to the advantages of olive and olive oil, she said.

Coordinating with the Jordanian Chefs Association and the Jordanian Society for Sensory Evaluation of Food, the event will include live cooking activities presenting methods of using olives and olive oil in healthy food preparation, according to Mufti.

During the event, regional manager and country representative of the World Food Programme (WFP) Sarah Gordon-Gibson said that the WFP is “delighted” to mark over 50 years of partnership with the Agriculture Ministry by supporting this festival, which enhances the livelihoods of rural families. 

WFP projects have planted 70 per cent of the olive trees in Jordan, Gordon-Gibson said, highlighting that some of the participants selling their products at the festival are "people who received the WFP's support in the past and have now achieved a sustainable livelihood".

United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) representative Alexis Bonte said at the ceremony that the FAO is cooperating with the ministry in the national olive festival, among many other activities which aim to develop the agricultural sector in Jordan and create job opportunities for women and youth. 

AMMAN — Under the Royal directives of His Majesty King Abdullah, Supreme Commander of the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF), Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Maj. Gen. Yousef Huneiti on Wednesday instructed the formation of a committee to sustain communication with ex-servicemen, remain aware of their needs and receive their suggestions regarding the improvement of their living conditions.

The committee will be chaired by the director general of the Economic and Social Association of Retired Servicemen and Veterans and the membership will include various JAF general command deputies and ex-servicemen of various ranks, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra. 

AMMAN — Under the Royal directives of His Majesty King Abdullah, Supreme Commander of the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF), Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Maj. Gen.Yousef Huneiti on Wednesday tasked the director general of the Military Consumer Corporation with the issuance of smart shopping cards for servicemen and veterans of the JAF and security institutions.

The card would grant users a 10 per-cent discount on the value of monthly purchases for various goods at all military consumer corporations across the Kingdom and is scheduled to come into effect in January 2020.

Huneiti also instructed the allocation of sale points exclusive to servicemen and ex-servicemen for the provision of better services, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

AMMAN — Water Minister Raed Abul Saud and Hungarian Ambassador to Jordan Csaba Czibere on Wednesday discussed means to enhance cooperation, mainly in the fields of training and transferring water expertise to serve the sector in Jordan.

Abul Saud reviewed the challenges facing the Kingdom in light of increasingly difficult conditions for the water sector, noting that Jordan is among the region's first to adopt programmes aiming at enhancing available water resources, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

For his part, Czibere praised the ministry’s procedures, development processes and humanitarian efforts towards refugees, noting that the Kingdom is “one of a few countries” that has managed to address water problems efficiently despite scarce resources.  

AMMAN — The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the Ministry of Agriculture in Jordan have signed a Letter of Agreement to contribute to the organisation of the 21st National Olive Festival in Jordan, which is an opportunity for small producers to promote their agricultural products, according to an FAO statement on Wednesday.

The agreement will also support the promotion of the agricultural sector and the provision of opportunities for rural families to market their products, as well an assessment of the impact of seasonal festivals on small producers, particularly women.

According to the statement, the FAO plans to provide further support to the olive value chain actors, partly through collaboration with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to strengthen this specific food system. 

AMMAN — Minister of Political and Parliamentary Affairs Musa Maaytah and UNICEF representative in Jordan Tanya Chapuisat on Wednesday discussed ways to cooperate on issues concerning children’s and juvenile rights, as well as UNICEF’s role in supporting children’s rights in the health and education fields.

Maaytah said the government “spares no efforts” to support children’s rights in all arenas, and considers the issue a “pillar of governmental policies”, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

For her part, Chapuisat said that UNICEF is concerned with supporting countries in providing children with proper educational and social environments and resolving challenges that keep them from “working towards their future roles as community leaders”. The representative commended Jordan for its support of children’s rights. 

AMMAN — Minister of Water and Irrigation Raed Abul Saud on Wednesday reiterated that technical cadres at the ministry, the Water Authority of Jordan and the Disi Water Company are working round-the-clock to complete preventative maintenance on the Disi Water Conveyance Project.

Abul Saud said that the maintenance is expected to be finished by Thursday, and that water will be pumped as per usual to Amman, Zarqa and Ruseifa and the northern governorates, according to a ministry statement.

The minister said that maintenance began on Monday and was carried out round-the-clock by the project manager, 25 specialised engineers and 75 technicians and workers, under direct supervision from ministry officials, according to the statement. 

Project Manager Bashar Al Bataineh said that maintenance was carried out over the entire length of the pipeline, extending to around 320 kilometres, and including maintenance work on the operation systems of the 55 wells in Mudawarah area, the collection tanks alongside the pipeline and the Mudawarah water pumping station. 

The maintenance also covered Madaba’s pumping station, Dabouq’s tanks and Abu Alanda’s tank, in addition to other tanks on the pipeline’s route and certain handles, electric panels, electricity generation systems and hydraulic pumps. 

The project pumps 15 million cubic metres of water to several governorates, including to the capital Amman, Water Ministry Spokesperson Omar Salameh said on Tuesday, noting that if the 320-kilometre pipeline is not maintained regularly, it risks severe damage.

He also noted that when the Emirate of Transjordan was established in 1921, per capita water use was more than 1,500 cubic metres, but at present has regressed to less than a 100 cubic metres annually. 

The regression has caused the water deficit to reach 500 million cubic metres, which is why the turn system is applied, Salameh said.

He noted that Jordan needs 1.4 billion cubic metres of water annually, but only 900 million is available, reiterating the need for strategic projects to ensure that enough water is provided.

AMMAN — The foundation for a joint Jordanian-Iraqi business venture was laid in the Zarqa Governorate on Wednesday, according to a Jordan Investment Commission (JIC) statement. 

The Zarqa City Mall is expected to create around 300 jobs and will be owned by both Jordanian and Iraqi investors, according to stakeholders. 

During a ceremony to launch the project, Chairman of the JIC Khalid Wazani said that the shopping centre’s cost is expected to stand at around $75 million.

“This project will serve Zarqa and provide direct and indirect employment opportunities for its residents. The success of this project will attract new investments to the Kingdom,” Wazani said. 

Investor Qais Enizy said that Zarqa was chosen for a number of factors, paramount of which is the availability of a qualified workforce.