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AMMAN — The Ministry of Social Development announced on Wednesday that it has licensed around 1,361 day-care centres, all of which are under its umbrella. 

The announcement came on the sidelines of a training workshop the ministry organised on Wednesday, in cooperation with the Sadaqa Organisation and UN Women Jordan.

The workshop focused on childcare centre registration and licensing for representatives of the Family and Childcare department at the ministry, according to a Sadaqa statement, which added that the workshop lasted for one day for the department staff responsible for registering the day-care centres. 

The aim of the workshop was to set up a one-stop-shop for the licensing of workplace day care centres, focusing on staff from the north and south of the Kingdom, according to the statement.

For her part, Sadaqa representative Randa Nafaa told The Jordan Times that the day-care centres ensure a better working environment, and that the centres need to be registered in line with the National Framework for Workplace Daycares, which was developed by Sadaqa and adopted by the government.

This includes the adoption of various models of workplace daycares under Article 72, which also stipulates the creation of a one-stop-shop for registering day-cares and supporting employers through tax incentives, she said, adding that these centres should be accessible to all working parents. 

The training was held as part of ongoing cooperation between the ministry, Sadaqa and UN Women to remove hindrances facing women who want to be part of the workforce, advocating for their economic rights through ensuring better access to transportation and daycares. 

The initiative, supported by the EU’s Regional Trust Fund in response to the Syrian Crisis, the “Madad Fund”, will include subsequent workshops that train more of the Ministry of Social Development's staff, the statement concluded. 

AMMAN — Charity organisation Tkiyet Um Ali will receive a government assistance package worth JD500,000 to fund its food poverty alleviation programme under an agreement it signed on Wednesday with the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation. 

The assistance will come from the ministry’s allocations for the Economic and Social Productivity Enhancement Programme of 2019, which aims to provide basic food items for underprivileged families in underserved areas, according to a ministry statement. 

The agreement was signed by Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Wisam Rabadi and Tkiyet Um Ali General Manager Samer Balqar.

Rabadi said that three similar agreements have been signed with Tkiyet Um Ali, all under the government’s endeavour to combat poverty and alleviate burdens on underprivileged families, according to the statement. 

Balqar described the agreement as a “model of partnership” between the government and civil society organisations, noting that the government assistance will help provide food support to 35 underserved areas across the country through monthly food parcels. 

AMMAN — In celebration of its three-month anniversary, Abdali Medical Centre, the "newest multi-specialty hospital in Amman", hosted a media gathering with a guided tour and a roundtable discussion focused on the centre’s model of care.

“The importance of a patient’s experience starts with their private one-on-one admission at the reception. We realise that patients may want to admit themselves without anyone overhearing their medical issue, and our individual reception desks grant them that privilege,” said Ghassan Khayyat, the centre’s Chief Medical Officer.

According to Khayyat, in acute cases, such as a heart attack or a stroke, a patient’s treatment at the centre starts earlier than admission, namely the moment the medical team arrives at the patient's location.

“The doctor that finds the patient and accompanies them in the ambulance assesses their situation with devices that are linked directly to the centre. Therefore, the on-call doctor is familiar with the patient’s case even before they arrive at the centre,” he explained.

The minutes that this procedure saves, according to Khayyat, “can be a matter of life or death, as in acute cases, every second matters”.

During the tour, it was mentioned that all Abdali Medical Centre doctors are dual-boarded and have “significant international experience within their fields”. Nurses at the centre must also complete a six-month training programme before commencing their duties.

Khayyat, who is also a consultant orthopedic surgeon and the director of the centre’s Orthopedics and Rheumatology Department, said: “At the centre, we are committed to improving the quality of healthcare in the country. Our doctors, nurses and administrative professionals are top specialists with international experience.”

“Our doctors’ credentials, many returning to Jordan from abroad, are as good as any world-class physician and they complement the strong local talent we are proud to have,” he added.

Another aspect of the centre is ensured accessibility for people with disabilities, according to Khayyat, who said that “even the ATMs are specially designed for movement-challenged individuals”.

He concluded that maintaining prices in line with other private hospitals and with top insurance companies in Jordan is also among the centre’s top priorities.

AMMAN — The World Science Forum (WSF) 2019 gathered global scientists and science policymakers last week in Budapest to discuss “Science, Ethics and Responsibility”. 

The biennial meeting was last held in 2017, when it was hosted by the Royal Scientific Society (RSS) at the Dead Sea in Jordan, according to an RSS statement.

HRH Princess Sumaya, president of the RSS, attended in her capacity as a member of the WSF Steering Committee, accompanied by a team of young scientists and senior RSS staff.

The WSF is a global forum for science policy organised by partner organisations including the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the International Science Council, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, which hosted this year's forum, the statement said.

The RSS “played a leading role in this year’s event”, co-organising two major sessions and participating in several others. Princess Sumaya also spoke at the Hungarian Parliament on the final day of the forum on the topic of “Science Diplomacy Now and in the Future”.

In an earlier session on “Science for Peace”, the RSS teamed up with the InterAcademy Partnership to discuss developments on the theme of Jordan’s 2017 WSF.

Another session on Basic Sciences for Development organised by the RSS with several leading international science unions analysed the importance of large science infrastructure projects to promote science in less-developed countries, according to the statement. 

This session also celebrated the designation of 2022 as International Year of Basic Sciences for Development by UNESCO. This initiative was led by Jordan through its Permanent Delegation to UNESCO, based in Paris.

WSF 2019 “confirmed Jordan’s leading role as a science enabling nation, and a champion for science in the region and the world”, through the RSS and its president, Princess Sumaya, UNESCO’s Special Envoy for Science for Peace, the statement read.

AMMAN — Representing their respective governments, Minister of Justice Bassam Talhouni and his Ukrainian counterpart Denys Maliuska‎ on Wednesday signed four judicial and legal cooperation agreements in Kiev.

The agreements centred on the exchange of prisoners and providing mutual legal assistance in civil and judicial matters, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. During the signing ceremony, Talhouni said that the agreements came in implementation of directives by the two countries’ leaders.

For his part, Maliuska lauded the agreements as a manifestation of their “deep-rooted fraternal relations”. 

AMMAN — The Cabinet on Wednesday decided to increase the number of students to be granted full scholarships to study at the Kingdom's universities in the southern region.

Scholarships are awarded to students who have completed Tawjihi (General Secondary Education Certificate), and their secondary education in schools in the northern and middle regions of Jordan.

The decision also increased the number of partial scholarships given to students who are enrolled in intermediate diploma programmes, applied and vocational, from 40 to 60, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Under these decisions, the number of scholarships increased to 1,000 for Hussein Bin Talal University and Tafileh Technical University, 150 for University of Jordan's Aqaba campus and 150 for Shobak, Maan and Aqaba colleges affiliated with Balqa Applied University.

AMMAN — The Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Omar Razzaz, on Wednesday endorsed the draft state budget law for 2020 and budgets of independent public entities, to be referred to the two Houses of Parliament.

The budget’s details will be announced on Thursday by Finance Minister Mohamad Al-Ississ in a press briefing, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

AMMAN — What distinguishes the 2020 General Budget is that it does not include any new taxes on citizens, Prime Minister Omar Razzaz said on Tuesday. 

Chairing a meeting at the Ministry of Finance, Razzaz said that the budget represents an economic map with "clear goals" that aim at enhancing financial and monetary stability, stimulating economic growth and maintaining current tax levels, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

The premier also highlighted the importance of efficiently dealing with tax evasion, as part of a holistic approach, through all legal and administrative means, in a way that reflects the general fiscal condition of the Kingdom and protects citizens.

He said that some "tangible outcomes" for the first two executive packages, which the government launched in an effort to stimulate the economy, have begun to surface, leading to several sectors demanding their continuation as a result of improvement in the real estate, vehicles and tourism sectors.

As for capital investment, Razzaz highlighted its importance as a main driver of the economy, saying that increasing capital expenditure will "positively reflect" on the government's partnership with the private sector.

In this regard, the prime minister said, the expenditure allocated for capital projects will exceed JD100 million in the budget, and will be reflected in municipalities and local development sectors. 

Finance Minister Mohamad Al-Ississ, who attended the meeting, said that capital expenditure will be increased by 28 per cent, the highest in years, describing the step as a “real investment in stimulating the economy and growth rates”. 

Ississ noted that in the budget, JD118 million is allocated to partnership projects between the public and private sectors, adding that the government will also repay part of its debt from previous years.

The minister added that among the most prominent government priorities in the budget is economic and financial stability, as well as enhancing procedures to address tax and customs evasion so as to maintain the rights of people who abide by the Kingdom’s tax laws.

In this regard, he noted that the billing bylaw endorsed earlier in the year will contribute to organise the market and increase tax revenues.  

Ississ added that 86 per cent of (government) expenditures represent current spending, including the 65 per cent directed to salaries and wages. 

AMMAN — The first solid waste recycling facility in Irbid Governorate marked its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony under the patronage of Governor of Irbid Radwan Otoum in Truck City on Tuesday, according to an EU statement. 

The ceremony was attended by EU Ambassador to Jordan Maria Hadjitheodosiou and Mayor of Greater Irbid Municipality Hussein Bani Hani. 

The recycling facility was built under the framework of the E4 project "E4 Enhancing Employment Opportunities in Jordan Energy and Environment Sectors" at a value of 3.34 million euros, and funded by the EU with support from Fondazione Prince Albert II of Monaco and Fondazione Terzo Pilastro. 

Istituto per la Cooperazione Universitaria was the implementing partner in partnership with the Greater Irbid Municipality, the Jordanian European Project for Environmental Solutions, the University of Brescia and Yarmouk Water Company, according to the statement.

"This project is an example of 3 million-euro, EU-specific support to solid waste recycling, within a circular economy vision and a vision to enhance public-private partnerships in the sector... I hope that the Municipality of Greater Irbid will continue this difficult but rewarding path towards recycling," Hadjitheodosiou was quoted in the statement as saying.

During the ceremony, project manager Dora Biondani said that Jordan, which is currently witnessing an "unprecedented high production" of daily waste, faces a “challenging situation”, and called the construction of this pilot project "a very much needed first step towards recycling". 

According to Biondani, the facility is designed to process up to 8 tonnes of paper and newspaper waste and 12 tonnes of plastic waste per day. Plastic waste will be granulated in order to be reintroduced into the production process, while paper waste will made into a new product to be used to improve insulation in the construction sector, the statement said. 

The new insulation product is considered to have “high potential” in Jordan, as old construction practices often lack proper insulation, she said.

Additionally, she noted, the facility was designed to be eco-friendly; 100 kilowatts of photovoltaic panel will help reduce operational costs, while a wastewater treatment unit will provide the opportunity to reuse the same water and reduce the environmental impact of the process, according to the statement.

The facility, owned by the Greater Irbid Municipality, will be operated by the Jordanian European Project for Environmental Solutions under an operational agreement, the statement said.

A panel discussion during the inauguration event shed light on the perspective of most stakeholders in the waste management sector. The panel featured Reham Jamal representing the Greater Irbid Municipality, Mustafa Jaar representing the private sector, Amal Madanat representing civil society, as well as the Ministry of Environment and waste management sector expert Silvia Gibellini, the statement read. 

The “extreme impact” of waste reflects the high interest in the sector, which in turn necessitates a collaborative effort to achieve the desired improvements, the panel discussed. 

According to the statement, 41 workers were hired to operate the facility and perform waste collection. The next proposed step is increasing awareness and improving waste collection on the household level. 

Under the framework of the E4 project, 20 schools in Irbid have hosted awareness campaigns and students “demonstrated interest and understanding of the urgency to start good practices to create the necessary change”, the statement said.

With continuous support from international donors, Jordan has been witnessing improvement in the waste management sector, and "now is the time to accelerate the process by becoming part of the change", the statement concluded.

AMMAN — The International Fund for Agricultural Development-funded (IFAD) Rural Economic Growth and Employment Project (REGEP) is set to see additional financing starting in 2020, with support for its new design coming from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) Investment Centre Division. 

According to an FAO statement on Tuesday, the overall goal of REGEP is to reduce poverty, vulnerability and inequality in rural areas. Its development objective is the creation of productive employment and income-generating opportunities for the rural poor and vulnerable, especially youth and women. 

The project’s approach is based on targetting smallholders, rural entrepreneurs, the unemployed and underemployed in rural areas either as individuals or through existing and new associations, according to the statement.

REGEP’s additional financing, “will strengthen links” between Jordan’s agriculture sector and markets, including those for exports and tourism, by enhancing market access and climate resilience for micro, small and medium-sized agriculture and community agro-processing enterprises, the statement said. 

Rural producers and service providers “will gain increased access” to climate smart technologies to improve their productivity and receive improvements to basic infrastructure and agro-logistics for enhanced market access, incorporating “critical climate-resilient infrastructure” to promote sustainability, the statement added. 

Implementation of the project will be guided by takeaways from the current phase and feasibility/market studies. More than 11,000 beneficiaries are expected from the additional financing activities, the statement said.

“The project’s additional financing, totalling over $20 million [including government and beneficiary contributions] could also have interesting inter-linkage and cross-support with other national initiatives and with commercial private sector associations…” FAO economist Roble Sabrie was quoted in the statement as saying.

It is expected that once this extended project is “fully on board”, the agricultural and rural sectors will expand and foster the potential for increasing trade and investment in Jordanian agriculture, the statement said.