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AMMAN — Using art to beautify the city's infrastructure and bring colours to citizens' daily lives is one of the purposes behind Baladak Street Art festival, which recently concluded its sixth edition in Amman, leaving 15 freshly painted murals on the walls of the capital.

French artist Lucie Legrand was among the 15 artists participating in the 2018 edition, where she sprayed the wall of Marka's water reservoir, a site funded by the French Agency of Development (AFD) to provide water to the Kingdom's northern governorates.

"I have always been impressed by street art, due to its format, tools and methods, but also due to the interaction it creates with the public, which is completely different from going to exhibitions or looking at art pieces in a museum," Legrand recounted, stressing "to paint in the street means reaching out to a much wider audience, and to change people's relation to their environment". 

The French artist said she started her journey into the world of street art after meeting a graffiti artist in Palestine in 2013, when she sprayed her first creation on the separation wall between Israel and Palestine. 

"This was truly a turning point for me, both technically and humanly. I realised the possibilities street art gives in terms of human interaction. It is very different from working inside a studio, as you get to be in direct contact with the public, listening to their stories, hearing their opinions and realising the impact such work has on their daily lives," Legrand told The Jordan Times on Saturday. 

For the French painter, working in the street "triggers emotions, initiates surprises". "Stumbling on an artwork while walking in a neighbourhood really breaks the routine of our daily lives. It gives us an opportunity to stop and get a breath of fresh air in the middle of an otherwise usual day," she stated, voicing her happiness to see her large-scale painting irradiate in the marginalised area. 

"Our surrounding environment has a very strong impact on how we feel and it was important for me to bring something more human and intimate to this blank wall," Legrand remembered, noting that she used typical Palestinian embroidery patterns to decorate her piece, as a reference to her travels to the neighbouring country a few years ago.

"Travelling and exchanging cultures is a great source of inspiration for me, and I try to convey the essence of travel through the artistic medium. I believe artists can work in bringing an image of their personal culture to other places, using their travel to open minds and broaden the exchange between countries and cultures," the painter commented, citing her exchange with young Jordanian artist Nina Mufleh, who accompanied her on the crane during her work.

French Ambassador to Jordan David Bertolotti, who visited the site during Legrand's painting process, said: "A water tank is not very pretty to look at. So we had the idea to associate art with a development project by inviting Lucie to paint the wall of the reservoir."

"In a way, we killed two birds with one stone: we brought water thanks to an important installation while at the same time offering people of the neighbourhood a piece of art that will remain," he told The Jordan Times. 

Located in Marka neighbourhood, the water is part of the extension of the Disi project, which provides 100-110 million cubic metres of drinking water to Jordan per year, according to AFD Water and Energy Project Manager Atika Ben Maid, who noted that the Marka reservoir is used to transfer part of this water to the northern governorates.

"This reservoir also includes a hydroelectric turbine which seeks to optimise the project by taking advantage of the transfer of water by gravity. It means that it is a transfer of water that also produces energy," the AFD official told The Jordan Times, stressing "due to the size and importance of this building, it seemed obvious to us to value such a surface, both to offer residents something more than a white wall and also to use a new perspective to talk about the important topic of water in Jordan”.

For Legrand, having this big mural right across housing buildings is "extremely important". "It really brings colours and joy to a neighbourhood that seems a bit left out in terms of infrastructure and outdoor decoration and I think it will startle and rejoice more than one passerby," she concluded.

Jordanians protest in front of the Prime Ministry early Saturday for the second consecutive night against fuel price hikes and an amended income tax law.

Other proests were held in other locations in Amman and othet cities.

There were reports thatvprotestors temporarily closed some roads near the Prime Ministry, the Airport Road, the Desert Highway and Amman-Jerash Road.

AMMAN – Despite decision by the government, upon orders by His Majesty King Abdullah, to cancel significant hikes in the prices of fuel and electricity driven by the rising prices of crude on international markets, riots and protests were reported in almost every corner of the country according to local coverage and social media posts, including the official news agency.

Road closures, burning tyres, chanting anti-government slogans, calling on the government to step down and parking cars in the middle of main veins in Amman and several government were recorded, with reports of police intervention to bring the snowballing situation under control.

His Majesty on Friday ordered the government to freeze new price hikes on fuel derivatives and electricity.

In a statement run by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, Prime Minister Hani Mulki said upon directives from the King the decision to raise the prices of fuel and electricity that were announced Thursday will be frozen for the current month.

The Premier said the decision takes into account the economic conditions during the holy month of Ramadan.

On Thursday night, thousands of Jordanians gathered in front of the Prime Ministry protesting the hikes in prices of fuel derivatives and electricity. Several other protests were held across the country's governorates in protest of the government's decision and in rejection of the income tax draft law and were released later.

The protests gained momentum after the government announced an increase of electricity prices by 23.5 per cent and fuel derivatives between 4.5 per cent to 5.5 per cent, citing rise in prices of crude oil globally.

Social media videos purported hundreds of youth protesting, violently in some cases, against the decision and the controversial income tax law, two days after a nationwide strike and rallies grabbed headlines, led by the professional associations. In some incidents, gun fire was reported against police stations, according to the reports.

The prime minister and professional association leaders are expected to meet at the Parliament Saturday to discuss the law, after the strike leader rejected to offer any compromise regarding their demand that the government withdraw it from the Lower House.

The law broadens taxpayers' base by 5 per cent and toughen penalties on tax evaders.

AMMAN—His Majesty King Abdullah on Friday ordered the government to freeze new price hikes on fuel derivatives and electricity.

In a statement run by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, Prime Minister Hani Mulki said upon directives by King Abdullah hikes in prices of fuel and electricity that were announced Thursday will be frozen for the current month.

The Premier said the decision takes into account the economic conditions during the holy month of Ramadan.

On Thursday night and early Friday, thousands of Jordanians gathered in front of the Prime Ministry protesting the hikes in prices of fuel derivatives and electricity. Several other protests were held across the country's governorates in protest of the government's decision and in rejection of the income tax draft law.

The protests came after the government announced an increase of electricity prices by 23.5 per cent and fuel derivatives between 4.5 per cent to 5.5 per cent, citing rise in prices of crude oil globally.

AMMAN — Royal Court Secretary General Yousef Issawi on Thursday inaugurated two healthcare centres in Marj Al Hamam and Adassiya neighbourhoods, in the presence of Health Minister Mahmoud Sheyyab and Housing Minister Sami Halasa, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The two centres were established under Royal directives following His Majesty King Abdullah's meetings with local residents of both areas. 

Marj Al Hamam centre is a three-storey building that includes an emergency room, maternity and paediatrics departments, specialised general medicine and dentistry clinics, in addition to a pharmacy, an X-ray room and a meeting hall.

In Adassiya, the centre consists of a maternity, paediatrics services, general medicine and dentistry clinics, built on an area of 928 sq.m.

Issawi, who is also head of the follow-up committee for the implementation of Royal initiatives, expressed His Majesty King Abdullah's keenness on developing the level of health services, citing His Majesty's recent unannounced visit to Al Bashir Hospital. 

He noted that 40 centres have been established or expanded under the Royal initiatives, in addition to maintaining and rehabilitating several hospitals and providing them with equipment.

Sheyyab praised the initiatives, stressing that they will play a "key role" in developing health services provided to citizens.

He noted that the old centres had been facing various challenges.

Meanwhile, Halasa said that the Housing Ministry carries out the implementation of the Royal initiatives and highlighted the ministry's efforts in following up on the implementation standards and commitment to timeframes.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah will next week pay a working visit to the Albanian capital of Tirana to participate in an international meeting as part of the “Aqaba Meetings” to follow up on the international efforts in the war on terror, according to a Royal Court statement.

The meeting, which will be held for the first time outside Jordan, will discuss security challenges in the Western Balkans, involving security and political officials from several countries, as well as officials from the Balkans, international partners and the EU.

His Majesty and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama will also attend part of a conference on combating extremism organised by the Albanian and Dutch governments, in the presence of the heads of governments of Kosovo, Macedonia and Bulgaria as well as 200 political, security, religious and academic leaders.

The “Aqaba Meetings”, launched by His Majesty King Abdullah in 2015, aim at enhancing security and military coordination and cooperation and exchanging experiences and intelligence between regional and international partners to combat terrorism within a holistic approach.

HRH Prince Feisal was sworn in as Regent during the King’s absence.

AMMAN — Representatives of the UN agencies operating in Jordan on Thursday warned that the Kingdom has only received $215 million out of the $1.04 billion required for the full implementation of the Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan (3RP), aimed at assisting refugees and host communities with a range of humanitarian, protection and resilience programmes. 

The announcement came during a joint press conference held by 3RP co-conveners UNHCR and UNDP, in cooperation with UNICEF and World Food Programme (WFP) representatives, who briefed the media on the “dire humanitarian consequences” of under-funding for the Syria crisis, and the challenges ahead in meeting the needs of refugees and vulnerable host communities. 

Launched at the end of 2017, the 3RP plan requires a total of $5.6 billion in donations to respond to the needs of over 9 million Syrian refugees and vulnerable host communities across the Arab region.

“However, despite the generosity of the international community, the 3RP is currently less than one third funded,” UN sources said in a statement, noting that “critical gaps in funding exist in each country, including in Jordan and Lebanon, where the number of refugees per capita in both countries are among the highest in the world while funding for these countries is less than 25 per cent”.

UNICEF Regional Director Geert Cappelaere warned that the agency may be forced to cut its services in countries such as Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey if the funding remains inadequate, appealing for a total of $100 million in donations in order to continue its activities in host countries impacted by the Syrian crisis. 

“Our approach is not to serve one group but all vulnerable children,” Cappelaere stressed, expressing UNICEF’s aim to “ensure that all public service systems are strengthened in order to continue satisfying the needs of both refugees and the local population”. 

For his part, WFP Regional Director Muhannad Hadi pointed out that “the lack of funding towards food security not only causes malnutrition. When food stops arriving to the household, families see themselves forced to take their children out of school, boys are sent to work, and girls become victims of child marriage”. 

“We do not want a lost generation and, in the absence of a political solution, a humanitarian solution is the only chance,” Hadi said, adding that “we have already seen the consequences of the lack of funding, and we hope for this to not be repeated again”. 

“Refugee livelihood is one of the most under-funded sectors but, with only a little bit more support, many people could be living a decent, self-reliant life while the crisis continues,” manager of the sub-regional response facility at UNDP, Samuel Rizk, said, noting that the agency is looking forward to supporting “not just individuals, but entire national systems in their own development aspirations”. 

All partners called for supporting countries in need for urgent and enhanced donor support in order to avoid reductions or closures of key programmes in the coming months, stressing that “early disbursement of pledged funds and flexible earmarking are also important so money is used where and when it is needed the most”. 

“This is not a simple straightforward crisis and all agencies are in dire need of funds to continue doing their job,” UNHCR Regional Director Amin Awad said, concluding that “the reason why we are here today is to convey our message to donors around the world to honour their commitments and pledges, and for host countries to sustain the presence of refugees”. 

AMMAN — Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh invited the Prime Minister Hani Mulki and President of the Professional Associations Council Ali Obous and council members to meet on Saturday at the House of Representatives over the controversial income tax draft law.

Tarawneh said in a statement cited by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, that the invitation is meant to “give preference to the language of dialogue over various national issues, especially legislative matters”. 

Tarawneh also pointed out that the amendments to the tax law are now in the hands of lawmakers and it is important that all stakeholders talk to each other to reach common ground that serve the interests of Jordanians in the first place.

The Speaker added that the House is determined to examine the amendments to the law and would not accept the changes proposed by the government as they are, especially those affecting the middle- and low-income classes. However, the leading legislator acknowledged the need to toughen penalties against tax evaders, which is the other aspect the government draft has focused on.

In reference to the strike and rallies called for and led by the professional associations and trade unions a day earlier, Tarawneh said that the protesters and their leaders “demonstrated a great patriotic sense and a high degree of national responsibility”, stressing that their demands will be top priorities for the House when it starts debating the bill as the upcoming extraordinary session of Parliament.

AMMAN — The government on Thursday announced an increase in prices of electricity and various types of oil derivatives as of June 1st reflecting a “significant rise” in prices of crude oil globally.

The government introduced a 23.5 per cent increase to electricity prices as of June 1 for all sectors and segments of the population, excluding households that consume 300 kilowatt-hours (kWh) or less per month and industrial facilities that are classified as middle-sized facilities, Farouq Hiyari, chief commissioner of the Energy and Minerals Regulatory Commission, told The Jordan Times on Thursday.

The price of kWh will increase from 17 to 21 fils until the end of June, he told The Jordan Times over the phone.

“We will increase the prices of electricity following a rise in crude prices globally as the average of barrel exceeded the $55 cap set by the government to keep electricity tariffs unchanged. The average price of crude oil barrel over the past three months was $71.54,” Hiyari said.

Electricity prices are announced at the end of each month based on the average cost of crude oil recorded over the three previous months.

“Industrial facilities that are classified as middle-sized facilities will only pay 10 fils per kilowatt/hour and they are excluded from any increase,” he said.

The government decided also to increase prices of various types of fuels as of June 1 until the end of the month, according to a Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources official.

The price of unleaded gasoline 90 octane was raised by 5.5 per cent from JD0. 815 per litre to JD0.860 per litre, while the price of unleaded gasoline 95 octane rose by 4.7 per cent from JD1.050 per litre to JD1.100 per litre.

Diesel and kerosene prices went up by 4.8 per cent from JD0.615 per litre to JD0.645 per litre, the official said.

“The increase in fuel prices is due to the sharp rise in prices of crude oil as the average price of crude oil barrel reached $76.95 in May, which is up by 7.4 per cent when compared to April,” the official added.

President of the Foodstuff Traders Association Khalil Haj Tawfiq said the increase in prices of fuel and electricity would put more burden on traders and citizens alike.

“Cost of distributing commodities between governorates and in Amman is rising and we cannot tolerate continued rise in prices,” he told The Jordan Times.

“Malls, supermarkets and groceries will pay more for electricity for refrigerated commodities such as poultry, meat and cheese. This is an additional cost on them. Traders are concerned and this cannot continue,” he added.

“When will this be over? We see an increase in prices of fuel and electricity almost every month,” Tawfiq said.

The rise of fuel prices came one day after thousands of professionals and protesters took part in a nationwide strike and rallies against the government-drafted income tax bill.

AMMAN — The number of arrested beggars during Ramadan is expected to triple compared to the holy month of last year, an official said.

The Social Development Ministry has already referred 333 beggars to the judiciary during the first third of Ramadan, said ministry spokesperson, Fawaz Ratrout, noting that last year the total number of beggars arrested during the month of Ramadan was 550.

"This year, we expect that number to reach 1,000," he told The Jordan Times on Thursday.

Out of the 333 arrested beggars so far, 231 were arrested in Amman, according to the official. The southern governorates including Tafileh, Maan and Karak, apart from Aqaba, came at the bottom of list, with the lowest numbers of arrested beggars, Ratrout stated.

The highest numbers are usually recorded in Amman, Zarqa and Irbid, as they are the largest cities and have a large population, the official claimed, where beggars are less wary about being recognised, unlike in smaller less populated areas where people are generally more familiar with each other.

Tafeleh, along with Petra district in Maan, Northern Badia, Banni Kenanah and Kourah districts in Irbid recorded the least numbers of beggars so far, according to the spokesperson. 

In remarks to the Jordan News Agency, Petra, Rartout said that the 333 beggars included 221 adults with a majority of women and 112 juveniles, most of whom were boys.

Begging is considered a crime in the Kingdom as stipulated by Article 389 of the Jordanian Penal Code, which penalises the act with fines or imprisonment, the spokesperson said.

First-time offenders “shall be punished for a period not exceeding three months or the court may decide to refer them to any institution designated by the minister of social development which provides care for beggars for a period no less than a year and no more than three years”, Article 389  of the Penal Code reads.

For juveniles, the ministry refers them to specialised centres for protection and rehabilitation, the official noted.

Elderly beggars above 60 years of age are referred to the administrative governor then to eldercare centres where they are taken care of, according to the spokesperson.

Each year, Ramadan witnesses a hike in the number of beggars at marketplaces, and in front of mosques and banks compared to the rest of the year, as there is a perception that people are more prone to donating money during the holy month, according to official figures.