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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. 

AMMAN — The Lower House on Tuesday denounced the recent US legitimisation of Israeli settlements on Palestinian lands, labelling it as a blow to peaceful efforts to end the Arab-Israeli conflict through establishing a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

In his opening address of the Lower House session, Speaker Atef Tarawneh highlighted Jordan’s commitment to His Majesty King Abdullah’s leadership and to the implementation of international law and resolutions, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

He added that the occupation state is making unilateral decisions to annex the Jordan Valley and the area north of the Dead Sea, which will lead to regional instability and further injustice towards the Palestinian people. 

The Speaker said that the Lower House, which monitors all violations inflicted upon Palestinians, warns against tampering with the legal reality of the Palestinian map along the June 4, 1967 lines.

He noted that the deputies believe that the annexation of the Jordan Valley and the legitimisation of settlements come from the same “evil” mentality that created the Sykes-Picot Agreement and the Balfour Declaration, saying that it is "as if the US is rewarding Israel for killing and displacing an entire people by giving it more land to occupy". 

Jordan is at a "dangerous" juncture, and "all Jordanians must handle the injustice and suffering faced by our Palestinian brethren with a spirit of national responsibility. We must follow the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah, who calls for ending the oldest occupation on Arab lands as a stepping stone towards the region’s safety and stability", Tarawneh added.

The Speaker said that His Majesty was right to link the war against terrorism with the resolution of the Palestinian cause, adding that Arabs must provide greater support to Jordan to unify efforts against extremism which hinders Palestinians from establishing their sovereign state.   

Also on Tuesday during a monitoring session chaired by Tarawneh and attended by Prime Minister Omar Razzaz, the Lower House discussed 13 issues raised by the MPs, Petra reported.

Several issues concerning the "deterioration" of public freedoms were raised by 12 speakers. They also called for the release prisoners of conscience and efforts to release Jordanian detainees abroad. 

They further urged the cancellation of the “gas deal” with Israel in response to recent Israeli actions, in addition to amending the Election Law and improving the conditions of third-tier employees. Additionally, they addressed developing e-commerce and voiced service demands. 

The deputies valued the “honourable” stances of Saudi Arabia, most recently the conversion of a loan into a grant.

Replying to MP Insaf Khawaldeh, Minister of State for Legal Affairs Mubarak Abu Yamin highlighted the “integrity” of procedures taken by the committee assigned to appointments in senior positions, noting the availability of video footage of the interviews, which "confirms the committee’s transparency".

Minister of Interior Salameh Hammad, in response to MP Khaleel  Atyeh, said that the government is committed to the instructions of the Cabinet concerning children of Jordanian women married to non-Jordanians. 

AMMAN — The Amman Chamber of Commerce (ACC) on Tuesday called for reducing sales tax, energy prices and customs tariffs, citing the move's expected contribution to stimulating the economy. 

In a statement on Tuesday, the ACC said that the country needs a national economic reform programme that meets and interprets the visions, aspirations and directions of His Majesty King Abdullah.

The chamber also urged banks to reduce interest rates so that economic sectors can secure the necessary funding to expand their businesses and create job opportunities, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

The ACC further noted that any sales tax reduction “must be considerable” and apply to services, food items, medication, child needs and schooling, according to Petra.  

Calling for reducing the customs fees, the chamber stressed the need for more strict laws and regulations to combat smuggling. 

The chamber also pushed for the revisiting of the Landlords and Tenants Law to achieve more justice for both parties, as well as other laws related to the economy, listing them on the agenda of the Parliament's current ordinary session.  

Acknowledging the recently announced economy-stimulating measures by the government, the ACC called for more "bold and immediate" decisions, citing the current recession and decline in the local market.  

AMMAN — The Aqaba Awqaf Directorate has completed the initial stage of equipping Aqaba mosques with solar panels, as part of a comprehensive integrated strategy to harness solar energy to save on electricity bills and reduce fuel consumption.

“Awqaf Directorate in Aqaba is the first in the Kingdom to convert solar energy into electricity in its mosques, with the aim of reducing the vast amounts of energy consumption by taking firm steps towards fully achieving the goals of the conversion strategy,” Head of Aqaba Awqaf Directorate Fares Jawazna told The Jordan Times on Tuesday.

Jawazna said that, during 2019, 28 mosques in Aqaba Qasabah District have begun relying on alternative energy, which is “cost-effective and has many environmental and economic benefits.”

He added that, by the end of 2020 and with the support of Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), 55 mosques will employ alternative energy.

ASEZA has contributed JD300,000 to achieve the objectives of the alternative energy plan, allowing savings on electricity to be utilised in support of Awqaf’s programmes, which focus on helping needy families and students and maintaining mosques, according to Jawazna.

“So far, ASEZA has spent JD200,000 in 2019, and the remainder of the sum will be given next year, in order to continue with the project, lowering energy bills in some mosques to JD40 instead of JD3,000 per month,” he added.

The Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs is responsible for paying the energy bills, he said.

The directorate chief highlighted the “high level of cooperation” of ASEZA President Nayif Bakhit and ASEZA Secretary General Mahmoud Khleifat, given their “continuous efforts” in supporting the project, in addition to their role in finalising issues related to Waqf lands.

“Technical and advisory committees have been formed to complete the Waqf lands concern, and the estimated value of lands that were not registered as Waqf lands was JD8.5 million,” Jawazna noted.

The directorate has taken part in many events, campaigns and initiatives, Jawazna said, adding that it won first place in a campaign stemming from the “Jordan Nakhwa” initiative, and has contributed in meeting humanitarian and financial needs, he said.

AMMAN — A ceremony was held in Petra on Tuesday to celebrate the endorsement and launch of the first Petra Integrated Management Plan (IMP), as the culmination of a long-term partnership between the UNESCO Amman office, the Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA) and the Department of Antiquities (DoA). 

Chief Commissioner of PDTRA Suleiman Farajat, in his welcoming address at the ceremony, said: “As Petra has received one million tourists this year, this Integrated Management Plan is timely, as we work towards strengthening measures for the protection of the site and managing site users in a way that protects it for the future generations. PDTRA commits to the implementation of the IMP in collaboration with all stakeholders, including the local community,” according to a UNESCO statement.

 Since 2015, PDTRA has partnered with UNESCO and the DoA in developing the plan, which is the first to be officially authorised after the inscription of the site on the World Heritage List, according to the statement. 

This "participatory and consultative process" initially began with the elaboration of a roadmap for the identification of possible shortfalls in previous planning initiatives, and progressed to include the preparation of the plan. 

The IMP is the result of "collective contributions" by several stakeholders, ranging from the local community to academia and the government, the statement said.

UNESCO Representative to Jordan Costanza Farina delivered an address expressing her “sincere appreciation” for the collaboration seen throughout the development of the IMP. 

“The Integrated Management Plan is among the first management plans to reflect the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as it is rooted in the commitment to address concerns related to environmental sustainability, resource management and local economic and social development. UNESCO recognises culture as main contributor to the realisation of all 17 SDGs and acknowledges its power as a driver of sustainable development,” Farina was quoted in the statement as saying.

Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Majd Shweikeh also addressed participants and expressed her gratitude. “An exceptional site like Petra requires an integrated, transformative approach to manage heritage and planning. The final Petra Integrated Management Plan fully meets this need by promoting a participatory and sustainable approach to preserving heritage that ensures the tourism objective of the site and the participation of the local community,” she said in the statement.

PDTRA will now lead the implementation of the plan over the next five years, in accordance with the action plan, according to the statement. 

Petra was registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985. The preservation of this site is a “key component” of the technical support provided by UNESCO to the national authorities in charge of the conservation and management of Jordan's heritage, the statement concluded.