Local

AMMAN — Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Tareq Hammouri on Wednesday inaugurated a premix-production (animal nutrition) factory in Qastal, with an investment capital of $35 million and an annual production capacity of 65,000 tonnes.

In a statement carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, Hammouri said that the Kingdom is witnessing an increase in the number of registered investment capitals, aiming to establish strategic projects in the region.

He added that this increase bodes well for the improvement of economic indicators. Hammouri added that high-tech projects fit in with the Kingdom’s goal to increase the volume of exports.

AMMAN — The Social Security Investment Fund (SSIF) and the coalition between Philadelphia Solar and the Ahmad Badawieh Establishment on Wednesday signed an agreement to build four solar power stations across the Kingdom.

In a statement carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, SSIF CEO Kholoud Saqqaf said that the project was created as part of the fund’s sustainable development initiatives.

The project will cost JD26 million and will be implemented in phases with a capacity of 20 megawatts. 

AMMAN — The Ministry of Higher Education and the Malaysian Ministry of Education on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding to enhance cooperation in the field of higher education.

The memo, signed by Minister of Higher Education Walid Maani and Malaysian Education Minister Maszlee Malik, aims at exchanging academic personnel, teachers, experts and students, as well as advanced technological systems in education to contribute to developing higher education in both countries.

Maani said that the ministry is keeping pace with international developments in higher education through improving technical and vocational education as a priority to stimulate the national economy of Jordan, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

AMMAN — A Jordanian delegation visited Baghdad on Wednesday for a series of consultative meetings aimed at finding wider scopes of cooperation in the fields of construction and engineering.

On the sidelines of the visit, General Director of the Government Tenders Department Mahmoud Khulaifat discussed possible opportunities for Jordanian constructors with Jaber Abedhassani, undersecretary of Iraq’s ministry of construction and housing and public municipalities, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The delegation also met with Hanaa Ismail, Iraq’s director general of the ministry’s legal department, to discuss a system of classifying contracts for resolving disputes.

During the meeting, President of the Jordanian Construction Contractors Association (JCCA) Ahmad Yacoub expressed the association’s readiness to conduct courses to train Iraq’s public sector employees to launch and implement tenders.

The delegation convened with Sami Araj, the chairman of Iraq’s National Investment Commission, who underscored his country’s housing shortage, saying it was estimated at 3 million units.

Yacoub said Jordanian construction companies were ready to start working on housing projects in Iraq, underlining that the JCCA, in cooperation with the Federation of Arab Contractors, would open an office in Iraq to create work opportunities for Jordanian contractors as well as to remove obstacles hindering cooperation between Amman and Baghdad.

AMMAN — New building permits fell by 40.2 per cent in the first two months of 2019 compared with the same months of last year, according to a Department of Statistics’ (DoS) monthly report.

There were 3,597 building permits issued by the end of February, compared with 6,016 during the same period in 2018.

Buildings licensed in the first two months of this year accounted for 1.124 million square metres, compared with 1.933 million square metres during the same period of 2018 — a drop of 41.9 per cent.

Residential buildings accounted for 859,000 square metres of the total licensed areas in January-February, compared with 1.552 million square metres during the same period of 2018, a 44.7 per cent decline.

Licences for non-residential buildings dropped to 265,000 square metres during 2019’s first two months, compared to 381,000 square metres licensed in January and February of 2018, according to DoS figures. 

At the governorate level, Amman accounted for 46.3 per cent of all licensed buildings, followed by Zarqa with 15.1 per cent, Irbid with 13.6 per cent, Balqa at 6.3 per cent, Aqaba with 4.7 per cent and Jerash with 3.1 per cent, the DoS said.

AMMAN — The West Asia-North Africa (WANA) Institute and Mercy Corps on Wednesday released a report warning of possible negative impacts on the economy if Syrian refugees were to leave Jordan en masse.

The research was aimed to measure the impact of Syrian labour on Jordan’s economy and was part of a UK Aid-funded project, according to a statement sent to The Jordan Times. The report found that in 2017 around 55 per cent of the 361,862 working-age Syrians were active in the Jordanian labour market.

According to the research, formal employment for Syrian refugees — agriculture, construction, food and beverage services, manufacturing, and wholesale and retail trade — only account for a small proportion of overall Syrian refugee employment.

As a result, Syrian labour participation has likely affected the wages of informal Jordanian workers, yet appears to have had little effect on the wages of formalised workers, the report said.

In the report, researchers looked at the growth patterns in the formal employment sectors and found that between 2011 and 2016, the sectors showed varied patterns of GDP, employment and investment growth. Using the results, researchers concluded that investing in agriculture was the most cost-effective way to boost employment and GDP, while investing in manufacturing was the least effective from a cost-benefit perspective.

The large number of refugees has also caused a rise in assistance operations in Jordan led by international organisations and NGOs. This created capacity-building opportunities for Jordanians and technology integration such as iris scanning and access to assistance funds via ATMs. According to the report, these operations have created thousands of jobs for Jordanians within the humanitarian response sector as well as numerous indirect jobs across other sectors.

The researchers warned that a drawdown of operations in the aftermath of a large-scale return would have consequences for all those who have gained employment or whose businesses have benefited as a result of the Syrian refugee population.

A discussion panel held to review the report at release consisted of Reem Goussous, managing director of Endeavour Jordan; Laith Qassim, head of Jordan Compact Investments; Samar Muhareb, CEO of Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development; and Hunter Keith, country director of Mercy Corps. The event was moderated by Omar Rifai, director general of the WANA Institute, the statement concluded.

AMMAN — The Kingdom’s tourism revenue climbed 5.2 per cent and reached $1.3 billion during the first quarter of this year, in comparison to the same period of 2018.

The number of foreign tourists arriving in Jordan during the first quarter rose 33.3 per cent, and the number of overnight and group-based tourists increased by 36 per cent and 19.7 per cent respectively, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

In 2018, tourism revenue surpassed the $5 billion mark, signifying an 8 per cent increase from 2017’s $4.6 billion.

The number of tourist groups was reported to have increased significantly throughout the first 11 months of 2018, with 86,320 tourists visiting the Kingdom in groups, compared with 61,620 tourists during the same period of 2017, which constituted an increase of 40.1 per cent.

Also during the 11 month period in 2018, overnight tourists from European countries represented the highest increase in numbers, with a 51.5 per cent increase, compared with the same period of 2017. Tourists from Asian and Pacific island countries accounted for 24.4 per cent, those from North and South American countries for 22.9 per cent and tourists from African countries accounted for 21.6 per cent.

Unified ticket sales during November of 2018 were valued at JD1,238,995, compared with JD414,805 during the same period of 2017, constituting a 200 per cent increase.

During the first 10 months of 2018, the total number of Jordan Passes sold the reached 90,344 tickets, and amounted to more than JD6 million, Petra reported.

The figure represented a 113 per cent increase in sales over the same period of 2017, which translated into an additional JD3 million in revenue, according to Petra.

AMMAN — For Eid Al Fitr, the prices for clothes and shoes are expected to be 15 per cent less than last year’s prices, Asaad Qawasmi, a representative of the clothes, garment and jewellery sector at the Jordan Chamber of Commerce, said on Wednesday.

During a press conference, Qawasmi attributed the price decline to competiveness between importers and merchants, referring to a surplus of goods and the low purchasing power of citizens, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Merchants heavily rely on the Eid season to increase their sales, and have prepared for the season, he said, adding that the sector supports the national economy.

The sector representative pointed out that the Kingdom’s imports of clothes and shoes have declined by 20 per cent so far this year when compared with same period of 2018.

Qawasmi said that the value of clothing imports amounted to JD70 million during this year’s period, compared with JD85 million last year, while shoe imports fell by JD5 million.

He added that the sector faces several challenges, including online sales, smuggling and unjustified expansions in malls, as well as high operating costs and low purchasing power.

In this regard, he called for a focus on tourists by mainly targeting Arabs and encouraging medical tourism, as well as by allowing Hajj and umra pilgrims from the West Bank to pass through the Kingdom.

The representative called for considering the interests of the commercial and industrial sectors when signing or cancelling trade agreements in a way that can meet the needs of consumers.

Qawasmi also urged stakeholders to exempt children’s clothes and shoes from customs fees and taxes which sometimes reach 20 per cent.

AMMAN — The Ministry of Environment is preparing to launch a nationwide cleaning campaign on Saturday, to mark the 25th anniversary of His Majesty King Abdullah’s Ascension to the Throne.

The campaign, aside from the clean-up effort, will also include the installation of new waste disposal facilities in public parks, according to a ministry statement released on Wednesday.

Organised in cooperation with the private and civil society sectors, Environment Minister Ibrahim Shahahdeh will inaugurate the campaign, which targets woodlands, parks, public areas and tourist attractions, as well as sites along the Jordan Trail.

Minister Shahahdeh, in the statement, said that the ministry has a vested interest in conveying the importance of preserving nature to citizens.

“Cleanliness is a religious, moral and patriotic duty,” the minister said in the statement.

He added that the campaign is part of a series of efforts and initiatives aimed at raising citizens’ awareness of pollution in Jordan.

Other ministries, including the ministries of education, municipal affairs, agriculture, tourism, interior and awqaf, will partake in the campaign.

Respective ministries will provide logistical support and equipment, such as machinery and vehicles, according to the statement.

The campaign will launch at exactly 10am in all of the governorates, Shahahdeh noted.

Parks, green areas and shared public spaces, not to mention tourist sites and recreational facilities, are everybody’s property and every individual is responsible for the preservation and cleanliness of these facilities, he added.

He also stressed that parks and any such recreational and environmental facilities are national treasures that citizens need to help protect and preserve.

Shahahdeh said that Jordanians are always keen on preserving their national resources and treasures, as he called on everyone to join the campaign, especially considering the arrival of spring.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday at Al Husseiniya Palace received Saudi Minister of State for African Affairs Ahmed Abdul Aziz Kattan, who delivered to His Majesty a letter from Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman Bin Abdulaziz.

King Abdullah asked the minister to convey his greetings to King Salman, wishing him and the people of Saudi Arabia further prosperity, a Royal Court statement said.

Discussions at the meeting covered the brotherly ties between Jordan and Saudi Arabia, and keenness to enhance cooperation in various areas in the best interest of the two peoples and in service of Arab and Islamic causes.

Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and Adviser to His Majesty and Director of the Office of His Majesty Manar Dabbas attended the meeting.

Also on Wednesday, the King received Deputy Prime Minister of Qatar and Minister of State for Defence Affairs Khalid Bin Mohammed Al Attiyah at Al Husseiniya Palace to review bilateral ties and means of developing them in various fields, according to the statement.

Attiyah conveyed the greetings of Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, and King Abdullah in turn asked the deputy prime minister to convey his greetings to Sheikh Tamim, wishing Qatar’s people further progress and prosperity.

The meeting covered opportunities for cooperation between the two countries through activating joint committees and establishing joint projects, with His Majesty expressing Jordan's appreciation for the support provided by Qatar in providing job opportunities for Jordanians and investing in the Kingdom.

The King reaffirmed the importance of supporting the Palestinians as they seek their legitimate rights to an independent state on their national soil on the June 4,1967, lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Lt. Gen. Mahmoud Freihat and Dabbas attended the meeting.

Separately, Freihat met with the Qatari deputy PM to discuss the latest regional and international developments, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Freihat and Attiyah also discussed ways of coordinating and enhancing military and bilateral cooperation for the benefit of the two countries’ armed forces. 

The army chief affirmed the depth of ties between the two countries, with a focus on the exchange of military expertise, expressing his pride in the Qatari army’s level of competence and preparedness, according to Petra. 

During the meeting, the two officials signed a number of agreements pertaining to military cooperation and investment in the two countries.

Meanwhile, King Abdullah received Malaysian Education Minister Maszlee Bin Malik on Wednesday at Al Husseiniya Palace, who delivered a letter to His Majesty from Yang di-Pertuan Agong XVI Al Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al Mustafa Billah Shah Ibni Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al Musta’in Billah, the king of Malaysia, the statement added.

King Abdullah asked the minister to convey his greetings to the Malaysian monarch and to Prime Minister of Malaysia Mahathir Mohamad, wishing them good health and the Malaysian people further progress and prosperity.

The talks, attended by HRH Prince Ali, stressed the importance of expanding economic, trade, education, tourism and cultural cooperation, the statement said.

The meeting also covered the latest regional developments, with His Majesty stressing the need to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict based on the two-state solution, leading to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the June 4, 1967, lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The King reiterated that Jordan will persist in upholding its historical role in safeguarding Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, in line with the Hashemite Custodianship, and praised Malaysia for its support of the Palestinian cause.

His Majesty also commended Malaysia’s exemplary model in promoting coexistence, tolerance and interfaith harmony, according to the Royal Court.

Dabbas and Malaysian Ambassador to Jordan Jilid bin Kuminding attended the meeting.