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AMMAN — The Jordanian legislative provisions condemning child labour have not curtailed the expansion of the issue in the Kingdom over the past years, a position paper by the Phenix Centre for Economic and Informatics Studies said, warning that “the reality of the social and economic conditions of children forced into labour is stronger than the policies and laws aimed at preventing it”. 

Released on the occasion of the World Day Against Child Labour, the document called on the international community to “shoulder its responsibilities towards Syrian refugees to prevent families from forcing their children into the labour market”.

Tamkeen Fields for Aid on Tuesday also issued a statement dubbing child labour “an urgent humanitarian issue” and warning that “the rights of the children are still being violated despite the progress made in the past years in tackling the phenomenon”.

In its position paper, Phenix noted that articles 73 and 74 of the Labour Law are in line with the standards contained in the international conventions on the reduction and abolishment of child labour, including the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child of 1989 and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions on Minimum Age (No. 138) and Forced Labour (No. 29). 

“But despite the clear provisions in the Jordanian legislation prohibiting the employment of children below the age of 16, the number of children present in the Jordanian labour market provides a more realistic picture,” the paper continued, attributing the high rates of child labour to factors such as “the structure and nature of the social and economic reality of Jordan and poor social justice indicators”. 

The centre recommended the review of “economic policies that lead to an increase in poverty while promoting social inequality” and called for strengthening law enforcement by the concerned institutions, in coordination with the imposition of “deterrent penalties against violators” and the activation of awareness campaigns on the negative effects of child labour.

“Although the Labour Law imposes fines on every employer who hires children, many of them are not really concerned with the prosecution and fines in place — especially as the fine does not exceed JD500,” Tamkeen Fields for Aid said, recommending an increase in the value of the fine and “stricter standards against abusive employers”. 

In a statement sent to The Jordan Times, the Ministry of Labour Media Directorate noted: “Child labour is one of the main issues concerning the ministry,” stressing that the capacities of labour inspectors have been developed through continuous training on communication techniques with children and youth. 

“The ministry has recently increased the number of inspection visits and labour inspectors, including a total of 23 liaison officers specialised in child labour,” the statement said, highlighting the importance of the employers’ “self-commitment not to employ children under the legal age”. 

Elementary and high school dropouts were another one of the factors leading to child labour according to Phenix’ position paper, which recommended further developments on the basic educational stages to reduce dropouts in later periods. 

Nizar, a 14-year-old Syrian refugee, is one of the many children still out of school in Jordan, striving to continue his education while working to support his family. 

“I do love school, and I miss it so much,” he told The Jordan Times during a visit to the Makani centre in Sweileh, where he shared his struggle to return to school after fleeing the Syrian conflict with his family. 

“I wanted to get back to school when we arrived because I know that it is where I should be — but they told me I was too old,” Nizar recalled, explaining how, instead, he works 11 hours a day for a daily wage of JD5 to help his family.

In 2016, over 76,000 children were working in the Kingdom, according to the latest figures issued by the ILO in cooperation with the Ministry of Labour, 45,000 of whom were performing tasks under hazardous conditions.

When compared to the figures issued ten years earlier, the rates of child labour have almost doubled since the beginning of the Syrian refugee crisis, Phenix pointed out, stressing that, while several reports link the striking increase in child labour to the Syrian refugee influx, the figures indicate that Jordanians account for 80.8 per cent of the total number of child workers across the Kingdom.

However, the conclusions arising from the available data “cannot be trusted”, Tamkeen’s statement stressed, which noted that “none of the child-related institutions in Jordan issues annual statistics on the number of children engaged in labour, other than the survey prepared by the ILO in cooperation with the Ministry of Labour”. 

AMMAN — Traffic accidents this Ramadan are 4.7 per cent lower than those during last year’s holy month (down from 11,111 to 10,587) and injuries resulting from these accidents decreased from 1,308 to 696, a 46.8 per cent decline, Central Traffic Department (CTD) Director Brig. Gen. Sameer Bino said on Tuesday.

The remarks came during a briefing of Interior Minister in the caretaker government Samir Mubaidin and Public Security Department (PSD) Director Maj. Gen. Fadel Hmoud, who visited the CTD to check on its plans to deal with the traffic flow ahead of Eid Al Fitr holiday.

Bino noted that deaths went down by 47.5 per cent, plummeting from 61 to 32 during this year’s Ramadan, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

For the CTD director, proper traffic plans and electronic traffic monitoring have contributed to such achievements.

Mubaidin highlighted the importance for CTD personnel to offer the best traffic solutions to citizens, visitors and returning expatriates, due to the approach of Eid Al Fitr holiday.

He commended the “great efforts” of CTD personnel in dealing with traffic challenges and their ability to maintain traffic movement, as well as limiting traffic congestion on main roads in Amman and other governorates. 

For his part, Hmoud said that traffic strategies are at the top of PSD priorities, always undergoing revision and updates depending on traffic challenges.

He stressed the need to strictly apply the Eid Al Fitr traffic plan, which aims at controlling traffic movements and preventing congestion by increasing the number of patrols near public places, malls and mosques, in addition to main roads inside cities and inter-governorate highways. 

AMMAN — The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) is monitoring the stone marten population in Dibeen Forest Reserve to understand its distribution trend.

The ongoing study, which commenced in 2016 and is scheduled to end this year, seeks to identify the home range of the stone marten and produce a distribution map for the species in Dibbeen Forest Reserve, in addition to identifying its hotspot areas, according to the RSCN.

“Many bio-elements can be considered as indicator species for different habitats. The stone marten is one of these species used as [an] indicator for [a] healthy forest ecosystem,” the society said in an email sent to The Jordan Times.

A radio collar is the method being used to track the stone martens inside and outside the reserve, according to the society, which said that radio collars have been installed on five stone martens in the reserve to measure movements and home ranges.

“The movement distance between released location and the last location where we recorded the collared stone martens was about 4.5 km,” the society said.

Although the animal is categorised as “least concern” under the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species, the animal’s population in Jordan is showing a continuous drop due to arbitrary hunting, whether as a hobby or out of local communities’ disregard of the fact that the existence of the mammal is on the line, according to a study in the RSCN’s 2015 annual report.

The stone marten inhabits wooded country in Eurasia. It has grayish-brown fur with a divided white throat bib, according to the Encyclopaedia Britannica.

The Dibbeen Forest Reserve in the northern Governorate of Ajloun is a major sanctuary for the stone marten. Extending over 8.5 sq.m of mountainous topography, it is a safe haven for globally endangered species and the world’s last remaining southeastern forest community of Aleppo pines. It is still threatened by the axes of illegal loggers and fires caused by negligent picnickers.

Studies have indicated that Dibbeen is one of the best remaining examples of the region’s original pine-oak forests, according to the RSCN, which noted that the forest is home to at least 17 threatened species and globally significant biodiversity.

AMMAN — The Ministry of Water and Irrigation has created a monitoring and follow-up programme on water supply for Eid Al Fitr holiday to prevent water cuts, a government official said on Tuesday.

The monitoring and follow-up programme will cover all parts of the Kingdom, according to the ministry’s spokesperson, Omar Salameh, who noted that the ministry’s teams will make sure that the water supply remains undisrupted during the four-day public holiday.

All ministries and public departments will be on holiday from Friday, June 15, to Monday, June 18, in observance of the Eid Al Fitr holiday, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. Eid Al Fitr is due to start on Friday, June 15 or on Saturday, June 16, depending on the sighting of the moon of the new lunar month.

“The ministry has set up scores of teams, each designated for a certain area. They will be tasked with following up on the water distribution programme and [ensuring] that each area is receiving the allocated water amounts,” Salameh told The Jordan Times.

Under the water distribution programme, households across the Kingdom receive water once during a certain period, usually between seven to ten days, on a rotating basis. Scarce water resources in Jordan compelled the Kingdom to initiate the programme in the early 1980s to conserve limited resources while ensuring a sustainable supply of water.

“The ministry and its affiliate institutions have arranged for the programme to sustain water and wastewater services during the public holiday. In addition to the follow-up and monitoring programme, the ministry’s emergency and complaints centre will be operating around-the-clock,” Salameh highlighted.

The ministry announced in May that it had increased the year’s water allocations from 996 million cubic metres (mcm) in 2017 to 1,068mcm this year, according to Salameh, who called on the public to contact the ministry’s unified emergency number (117116) for complaints on water and wastewater services.

“The public is also urged to report suspected water violations,” the spokesperson highlighted, noting that several water violations were stopped due to the cooperation of the public with the ministry as part of the ongoing national campaign to end violations on water resources and networks.

Under the campaign, launched in 2013, the government has saved 120mcm of fresh water over the past five years by stopping more than 36,661 violations on water mains and networks and sealing 1,022 illegal wells across the country.

His Majesty King Abdullah joins worshippers in performing Isha (evening prayer) and Taraweeh (special Ramadan prayer) on Monday at Al Hashemiya Mosque in Amman, marking Laylat Al Qadr, the anniversary of the revelation of the Koran to Prophet Mohammad, which Muslims celebrate on the eve of the 27th of Ramadan

AMMAN (JT) — Prime Minister-designate Omar Razzaz said on Monday that the King’s directive in the Letter of Designation to forge a new social contract could be the most important item on the political agenda that his in-the-making government is entrusted to implement.

Razzaz made his remarks during a meeting at Al Hussein Youth City with the secretaries general of political parties, as part of a series of meetings and consultations he is holding to form a government and its action plan for the next stage, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Meanwhile, Razzaz told reporters after a meeting with House leaders that he was seeking a “charter” that puts the country on the path towards parliamentary governments. 

The premier-designate added that producing a new social contract requires a clear definition of rights and obligations, a transition to an institutional system governed by laws and regulations, ensuring that the government has uncontested jurisdiction over all public affairs, a shift to economic productivity and a system where the individual is the centre of development plans, one that guarantees people their rights to “bread and freedom”.

The transition to a new social contract also requires concord over an economic vision tied to production, creativity and innovation, he stressed.

Commenting on the ministerial team he was still gathering, the prime minister-designate said: “It is not enough to be a technocrat government at this stage. Even if it was fully aware of the technical aspect of its work, it is important for the Cabinet to understand the political and security implications of its decisions”. 

“The person we are looking for to join the Cabinet is a person who deeply understands his field and has the expertise and ability to see the implications of any decision within his ministerial portfolio on social security and the economic situation”, he pointed out.

“We do not need a narrow mentality in dealing with matters,” he said, explaining that the ministerial team member must have genuine political awareness and understanding of the opportunities and technical challenges in there field of work”.

“We recognise that the time factor is critical, but we have to ensure that the ministerial team is integrated,” Razzaz said, adding that when His Majesty the King designated him to form a government, he advised him not to rush things and to take his time to make certain he was making the right choices.

Razzaz also stressed that the main objective of the income tax draft law is to effectively deal with tax evasion, but not at the expense of citizens, stressing the need for clear legal provisions that penalise evaders and protect the public.

A conversation started after Razzaz finished his remarks, during which party leaders presented their views on the challenges currently facing Jordan and the political and economic reform files, stressing the parties’ desire to strengthen partnerships with the government to promote political and partisan action.

They called on the government to initiate a national dialogue on a new draft of electoral and party laws, in order to help restore confidence in partisan action.

They also stressed the importance of combating corruption and the corrupt, promoting the attractiveness of foreign investment and encouraging migrant investors to come back home.

Charter for parliamentary governments

Razzaz told House leaders at a meeting held at the Parliament that his government would work with the Lower House to launch a national dialogue to reach consensus over a “charter” that leads to parliamentary governments, Petra reported.

Razzaz said during the meeting, attended by the Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh, members of the House’s permanent office, heads of parliamentary blocs and key MPs, that the parliamentary governments which King Abdullah spoke about in the seven discussion papers, which His Majesty wrote and released between 2012-2017 should not remain a mere slogan, pointing out in this context that achieving this goal requires awareness, knowledge and well-established institutions.

Also touching on the social contract issue, Razzaz said young people are “waiting for us to work together” and to feel that they are a “participating rather than an on-hold generation”.

The prime minister-designate announced the criteria of selecting his Cabinet: Integrity, a “graft-free record”, and the ability to communicate and work with a teamwork mentality.

AMMAN — The Gulf states’ pledged aid to Jordan will contribute to easing pressures on the Kingdom in some areas, but the country needs to go ahead with necessary reforms to realise self-reliance, economists said on Monday.

Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE early Monday committed to extending to Jordan $2.5 billion in support for its economy. The pundits said the bulk of the aid needs to go to development projects so Jordanians would feel the impact.

The Gulf states’ aid package includes a deposit at the Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ), guarantees to be presented to the World Bank in favour of Jordan, budget support for five years and funding of development projects by development funds in the three countries.

The experts said the package is prone to help boost foreign currency reserves, reduce Jordan’s cost of borrowing in case of bond issuance, while development projects would help create jobs and drive economic growth.

“The aid will help reduce pressure on the state budget and, in general, ease financial burdens on the Kingdom,” economist Mazen Irsheid told The Jordan Times on Monday.

The deposit at the CBJ will further strengthen the Jordanian monetary position although foreign currency reserves in Jordan at present are at good levels, he noted.

According to the CBJ, foreign currency reserves reached $11.5 billion at the end of April, down by 5.7 per cent when compared to the end of 2017.

“The aid will make Jordan in a situation where it needs to borrow less… It is good, but reforms in Jordan need to continue until we reach a self-reliance stage... and of course, there is a need to fight corruption and ensure protection of the poor while conducting reforms,” he said.

Economist Zayyan Zawaneh said the deposit at the CBJ is a  “good thing but has a limited benefit”. However, he indicated that the Jordanian dinar is not under pressure in light of current foreign currency reserves.

“There is a need to focus on spending on development projects and capital expenditure to trigger economic growth which will help create jobs,” he told The Jordan Times on Monday.

He said the guarantees to the World Bank could help strengthen Jordan’s position in case of any future plans to issue international bonds.

“Jordan will be able to get loans at lower interest rates as it is guaranteed by the Gulf states, but borrowing is not recommended as the current public debt is very high and has reached critical levels,” he said over the phone.

Jordan’s public debt reached JD27.69 billion at the end of April, representing about 95.9 per cent of the gross domestic product.

“Annual debt service is about $1.5 billion. We should not borrow more, but the fact remains that the Gulf’s guarantees will help Jordan secure loans at lower interest rates,” he said.

The economist said focusing on development projects is key to addressing high unemployment through creating new jobs.

Jordan, he agreed, needs to move ahead with reforms.

Economist Wajdi Makhamreh echoed similar remarks. 

“The Gulf aid package is an opportunity now for the government to go ahead with well-studied reforms so that Jordan would become self-reliant…. We need to use the aid to build a solid economy and strengthen its resilience,” he said.

“Priority should go to implementing projects…. It would be better if a large portion of the aid is allocated for this purpose; we do not need more borrowing,” he said.

“The aid is a positive turn of events and will help Jordan at this stage, but we need to overcome the challenges ourselves by embarking on reforms that are fair and by rationing public spending, endorsing laws that make Jordan more attractive to investments and combating corruption,” he added.

Jamal Al Shalabi, a professor of political science at the Hashemite University, said the aid package to Jordan shows the Gulf states’ understanding of Jordan’s “serious economic conditions”.

“I believe that there is a message to Jordan that this is the beginning of more support to come,” he said on Monday.

AMMAN — A new committee has been formed by the Ministry of Higher Education to review the regulations governing the student support fund and ensure its continuity, a ministry official said, explaining that the committee aims to “achieve greater fairness in the distribution of loans and scholarships while expanding the base of students benefiting from the fund”.

The remarks were made by the ministry’s secretary general, Ahed Wahadneh, in an interview with The Jordan Times on Monday, where he announced that the board, which he chairs, has initiated a study of the “financial and administrative reality” of the fund, recommending the introduction of new elements that allow for the creation of “effective partnerships” with the private sector in order to improve the financial status of the fund. 

He further stressed the need to develop an “integrated computer software” covering all stages of the fund’s administrative work, from the student’s application to the Higher Education Ministry to the final collection phase. 

“The National Strategy for Human Resources Development requires us to increase the number of students benefiting from the fund, and the only way for us to do so is for students to repay the loans they were previously granted,” Wahadneh continued, explaining “an integrated computerised system would guarantee that students do not skip any period, allowing for an increase in the number of beneficiaries by 220 per cent.” 

In January of this year, the ministry announced that all 42,647 students who applied for grants, loans and scholarships for the academic year of 2017/2018 had been accepted, accounting for 44 per cent of the students enrolled in public universities and eligible for the fund.

However, earlier this month, Wahadneh revealed that the ministry’s student support fund is currently suffering from a deficit of JD18 million. 

“It is worth noting that this deficit is virtual in the sense that the money is there, but it is still in the hands of the students who are due to pay their loans back,” Wahadneh clarified at the time, stressing that the fund has supported students with a total of JD260 million in scholarships and loans since its establishment in the academic year of 2004-2005.

During the session, the official stressed the need to “take into account the living conditions of Jordanian citizens”, calling for the development of a system that “preserves the public funds of the state while considering the economic situation of the students borrowing from the fund”.

"The ministry is aware of the financial constraints that students are suffering from,” the official said, noting that the by-law governing the repayment of the loans is currently under revision in order to grant students with a grace period of six months to one year after graduation. 

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday renewed appreciation for Gulf countries for supporting Jordan.

Senior officials, lawmakers and sector leaders also thanked Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE for pledging $2.5 billion to help revive Jordan’s economy at summit in Mecca early Monday. 

In a Tweet, His Majesty said: “We highly appreciate the noble gesture of our brothers in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE, especially the good initiative of my brother King Salman Bin Abdulaziz towards our country in light of the challenges facing it. The Mecca meeting is a true embodiment of fraternity and solidarity among Arabs. God bless the Arab Nation and God bless our beloved Jordan”.

Prime Minister-designate Omar Razzaz expressed on Monday the Kingdom›s appreciation for the three countries for the economic aid package they have offered to enable Jordan to overcome economic challenges.

In remarks to journalists following a meeting with secretaries general of political parties, Razzaz voiced gratitude for Arab brothers who always stand by the Kingdom, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

In this regard, he commended the Mecca meeting called for by King Salman to discuss the Kingdom›s economic crisis and means to overcome it.

The premier-designate also gave credit to King Abdullah›s good relations at the Arab and international levels, which help Jordan deal with developments in an independent way without compromising its stands, which, he said, is necessary to move forward.

Also on Monday, the Lower House highly commended the outcomes of the Mecca meeting, which aimed at providing Jordan with means to overcome the current economic crisis in Jordan.

The House, in a statement carried by Petra, said that King Salman›s initiative to hold the meeting is something expected for Saudi Arabia and is based on Arab keenness and awareness of the importance of the Kingdom.

The Chamber added that Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates illustrated through their support the “deep-rooted” relations among the four countries.

The Amman Chamber of Industry on Monday also praised the trilateral support to the Kingdom, with the chamber’s president, Ziad Homsi, saying that this aid demonstrates what Arab solidarity and joint action should look like, especially since Jordan’s economic crisis is attributed to regional unrest, according to Petra.

Similar statements were issued by Nael Kabariti, president of Jordan’s Chamber of Commerce, and other public figures and individuals.

AMMAN — Police are questioning a 30-year-old man who allegedly killed his sister at dawn on Sunday in Tafileh Governorate, official sources said.

The 36-year-old woman was rushed to a nearby hospital but was declared dead on arrival, a senior police official told The Jordan Times, noting that initial investigations indicated that “the suspect beat up his sister at dawn while at their home”.

The suspect reportedly beat up his sister and “she died as a result,” the official said.

"We still do not have a clear motive but our assumption is that it is a domestic dispute," the source continued, noting that the police "will have to wait for autopsy results and other investigations procedures before we reach a conclusion".

Meanwhile, a medical source told The Jordan Times that an autopsy is expected to be performed on the victim either today or tomorrow.

The Criminal Court prosecution office was also notified of the incident, a judicial source said.

“The Criminal Court prosecutor is scheduled to question the suspect and other family members today before levelling any charges,” the judicial source said.

The police official said investigations are ongoing in the incident.