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AMMAN — Income and Sales Tax Department Director General Hussam Abu Ali on Friday called for amending the 2014 Income Tax Law, which does not address tax evasion, stressing that its penalties “do not form a preventive shield” to maintain tax revenues.

In an interview with Jordan Television’s 60 Minutes programme, Abu Ali underlined the need to enhance voluntary commitment of taxpayers to present correct tax statements and to boost mutual trust between taxpayers and the department.

He also called for removing any flaws that enable taxpayers to avoid paying levies, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

AMMAN — A joint security force from the northern Badia Police Department and Criminal Investigation Department on Friday arrested the main suspect in the killing of a 20-year-old a few days earlier.

A Public Security Department statement carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, said that a brawl broke out in a northern Badia area, which resulted in the wounding of a citizen by a gunshot that later led to his death.

An investigation was initiated and a number of people involved in the brawl were arrested, while the search for the suspect who fired the gun before fleeing the scene continued. 

AMMAN — Foreign Affairs Minister Ayman Safadi on Thursday said that the Jordanian northern border is "a gateway" to deliver aid to the Syrian people, stressing that no arms pass from Jordan to Syria.

Jordan wants stability, security and peace to be restored in Syria with no presence of terrorism or sectarian militias and wants Syrians to have a normal life and borders to be opened, he added

The remarks came during a joint press conference with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov that followed a bilateral meeting in Sochi, Russia, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

During the meeting, Safadi and Lavrov stressed Jordan and Russia would continue work on improving ties and cooperation to reach solutions for the regional crisis and realise peace, stability and security.

The two ministers stressed prospects of bolstering bilateral ties under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah and President Vladimir Putin, based on "transparency, confidence and frankness" and increasing economic, cultural and defence cooperation.  

Safadi conveyed His Majesty’s congratulations for the reelection OF Putin as president.

The two diplomats discussed the regional developments, especially efforts to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the basis of the two-state solution and reaching a political solution for the Syrian crisis through the Geneva path and in accordance with the UN resolution 2254.

Safadi and Lavrov stressed commitment to maintaining the de-escalation agreement in the south of Syria, which was established under a trilateral agreement between Jordan, the United States and Russia.

During the press conference, the minister noted that Jordan hosts 1.3 million Syrian refugees, adding that “Jordan, since the beginning of the crisis, has been providing humanitarian aids despite economic and other pressures”.

The de-escalation zone has proven to be the most successful efforts geared towards ceasefire so far, said Safadi, adding that it has contributed to saving the lives of Syrians and avoiding more destruction.

“We also discussed the situation in southeast Syria, particularly, Rakban camp for displaced Syrians, and we noted the Resolution 2401, which stressed the importance of delivering aid from inside Syria, as they are Syria refugees and aid must be delivered through the Syrian lands”, the minister continued.

For his part, Lavrov stressed his country’s support for Jordan’s fight against Daesh terror group in Syria, in addition to its efforts to reach a political solution to the crisis.

He added that Jordan and Russia are keen on a national Syrian dialogue and fully implementing UN Resolution 2254.

As for the Palestinian issue, Lavrov underlined that Moscow’s proposal to host “unconditional” talks between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is still available.

AMMAN — A total of 2,500 participants from across the globe are registered to take part in the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s (EBRD) 27th Annual Meeting and Business Forum, set to kick off at the King Hussein Bin Talal Convention Centre at the Dead Sea on May 9. 

The forum will start next Wednesday with an opening speech by His Majesty King Abdullah, followed by a session on the future of the job market held under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Rania, the organisers said. 

“Our theme is 'Energising Economies' and we aim to engage participants with informed, sometimes provocative discussions and debates on a variety of issues — from business climate to economic growth, targeted, profitable investment to environmental protection,” the bank said in a statement published on its website. 

“Jordan is the first country across the Arab region to hold EBRD’s annual meeting,” Planning Minister Imad Fakhoury highlighted during a press conference on Thursday, attributing the bank’s choice to “its confidence in Jordan’s efforts towards development, as well as the Kingdom’s outstanding reform performance in various areas”.

The minister extended his thanks and gratitude to the bank for their decision, adding that “this is an opportunity for Jordan to attract a higher number of tourists while engaging with the international community”.

Heike Harmgart, EBRD director for the Eastern Mediterranean region, stressed that “the bank has recorded a successful trajectory in Jordan with one-billion-euro worth of investments in less than six years,” commending the Kingdom for “becoming a regional hub as a new success story commences with the hosting of EBRD’s annual meeting”.

“We are aiming to give our investors the confidence to keep on supporting the resilience of the country and set the road for further development,” she added. 

“Jordan is currently working on intensifying the communication with EBRD’s stakeholders in order to develop new areas of cooperation in different sectors, including urban transport, renewable energy, social infrastructure, solid waste, water and sanitation,” Fakhoury said. 

Regarding the meeting’s agenda, the minister explained that “this forum will be an opportunity to discuss various challenges at the global level, including the efforts to support economic growth and enhance the business environment of all EBRD member countries”.

AMMAN — Jordanian and Qatari businesspeople have to reach economic integration and establish sustainable commercial and investment partnerships, Industry, Trade and Supply Minister Yarub Qudah said on Thursday. 

Participating in a Jordanian-Qatari meeting, which was organised by the Jordan Chamber of Commerce (JCC), Qudah noted that Qatari investments in the Kingdom stand at $350 million in several economic sectors, in addition to having $1.5 billion of investments in the financial market, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

The minister highlighted that regional instability has contributed to reducing national exports by 20 per cent over the past five years due to closures of borders with traditional markets.

These challenges will, however, create genuine opportunities for the national economy when the reconstruction process starts in the region, he said.

Qudah noted that international stakeholders have estimated the volume of reconstruction projects related to infrastructure and services in Syria at $400 billion, and in Iraq at $200 billion.

He said that Jordan alone cannot utilise these opportunities, calling for a pan-Arab integration to help rebuild Syria and Iraq and urging Jordanian and Qatari companies to establish partnerships to benefit from these schemes.

JCC President Nael Kabariti said that the private sector is keen on establishing partnerships and coordinating with Qatari counterparts to open new scopes of economic cooperation and develop investments, according to Petra.

Kabariti, who is also a senator, expressed hope that the next phase will witness deeper economic cooperation through further enhancing Qatari investments in the Kingdom in new sectors, so as to support the national economy and provide jobs for Jordanians.

President of the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sheikh Khalifa Bin Jassim Al Thani stressed the “brotherly and historical” ties between Doha and Amman, voicing  keenness on enhancing them at the economic level to meet both countries’ aspirations. 

Sheikh Khalifa noted that the number of Jordanian companies which are 100 per cent owned by Jordanian investors in Qatar stood at 127 by the end of 2017, with a total capital of $50 million, while Jordanian-Qatari partnership companies totalled 1,340 with an overall capital of $490 million.

He also said that the Qatari economy is rich in opportunities that can attract Jordanian investors, praising the continuing flow of Jordanian agricultural and food products to the Qatari market, something which “reflects the deep-rooted ties” between both countries’ businesspeople.

AMMAN — Hundreds of women, men and children marched in the streets of the capital on Thursday to demand more equality for women in all fields on the occasion of International Labour Day.

The march, called by the participants “Coalition Rights”, started from Jabal Luweibdeh and ended in front of the Parliament.

The participants, including MPs, women activists, schoolchildren and individuals from the private sector and various governorates held banners that demanded more equality in all laws regulating and affecting women’s economic participation and status in community.

Former minister and activist Asma Khader said: “We are here to raise the voices of female workers because there are many laws that still discriminate against women, which contribute to keeping them away from the labour market.”

“Women labourers should have all rights while at work, and there have to be laws that protect them in the workplace from all forms of violations,” Khader told The Jordan Times.

Energy Engineer Ali Nasrallah, 27, said he decided to join the march to support women’s representation in the labour market and other decision making positions.

“We should all unite to ensure that women are fairly represented in all walks of life in Jordan. I will always take part in any activity that is in favour of women’s rights,” Nasrallah told The Jordan Times.

Natalie Fakhoury, who is in the eighth grade at the Ahliyyah School for Girls, told The Jordan Times that she decided to take part in the event to push for her future rights.

“We, as students, can make the necessary difference when we take part in such events,” Fakhoury said.

Coming all the way from Irbid, activist Najah Natour said she was in Amman to take part in the rally to “stress our demands, which is a right for all Jordanians”.

“The government is required to do whatever it takes to increase the number of women in the labour market,” Natour told The Jordan Times.

The idea behind this march is to highlight the latest amendments that the women’s movement managed to introduce to the draft Labour Law and to lobby the MPs to endorse the suggestions, organisers said.

“We decided to take to the streets to demand more rights for women in the labour market and to amend all the laws that discriminate again them,” said Sadaqa executive board member Sahar Aloul, citing a statement prepared by the coalition.

Aloul called on the Labour Ministry and the relevant authorities to impose strict oversight measures to ensure that all laws that protect women in the workforce are observed and respected.

Meanwhile, Amman Third District MP Khalid Ramadan, who led the march, pledged to support all the demands by the coalition.

“I will not sign on any decision by the Labour Committee until I am sure that they are in favour of women,” Ramadan told the crowd.

The lawmaker praised the women’s movement for its persistence in pushing for “their rights from the legislative body.  Women’s causes are national causes”.

Comprised of nine women organisations, unions and labour entities, “Coalition Rights” was launched earlier this month with the aim of lobbying parliamentarians and the government to amend certain articles of the Labour Law.

The coalition aims to eliminate discrimination against women and boost their participation in the labour market, according to its representatives.

Jordan was ranked 142 out of 144 countries in women’s economic participation in the Gender Gap Index published by the World Economic Forum 2017. 

The index highlighted that most women in the Kingdom do not enter the job market or pull out after varied periods of time due to the barriers posed by the lack of daycare service and easy access to transportation and because of pay inequity.

In February, the Lower House’s labour committee amended provisions in the draft Labour Law that stipulated pay equity, the presence of daycare centres at workplaces and the introduction of paternity leave.

AMMAN — Investment deals worth $174 million were signed on Thursday as the Jordan Economic Forum concluded on the shores of the Dead Sea. 

Prime Minister Hani Mulki and Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh witnessed the signing of the investment projects, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Among the projects announced was a $70-million joint venture involving Jordan’s Philadelphia Solar and the UAE-based AlNowais Investments to build a 50MW solar plant, the first of its kind to be made-in-Jordan completely. 

The Jordan Petrol Refinery signed an agreement with Spanish TR worth $32 million to produce detailed blueprints for the refinery’s expansion project, whose total cost is estimated at $1.7 billion. 

Philadelphia Solar also signed a deal with Abdali Clemenceau Hospital at a cost of $15 million, under which the former will install solar energy-generation facilities at the hospital. 

A new production line for Kasih Food Production Company at a cost of $6 million, expanding the capacity up to 140 million items a year.

An agreement was also signed by Itqan Pharmaceutical Industries for $20 million. The firm manufactures products not found on the local market and aims to export to international markets, Petra said. 

The company is expected to employ more than 200 workers in its various departments.

Tarawneh said that the forum discussed strategic policy issues including fiscal, monetary and investment policies, mandating reasons for economic reforms, and ways to accelerate economic growth plan implementation drafted by the Economic Policy Council and the Jordan National Vision and Strategy 2025.

The forum was attended by a number of ministers, deputies, senates, ambassadors, businessmen, university presidents, academics, experts, economic analysts, representatives of several international institutions and companies, the United Nations, the World Bank, and the World Women’s Forum.

AMMAN — The Minister of Water and Irrigation, the German ambassador to Jordan and UNICEF on Thursday launched the operation of a water supply and waste water network which will connect all households in the Zaatari refugee camp, a UNICEF statement said. 

As the first of 12 districts, a network which will serve about 8,000 households in District 8 of the camp has been commissioned, according to the statement.   

Speaking at the launch event, Minister of Water and Irrigation Ali Ghezawi said that the government, in cooperation with donor countries and international agencies, seeks to implement effective environmental solutions in Zaatari camp, which hosts thousands of Syrian refugees, to preserve the environment and underground water and serve residents in areas neighbouring the camp.

The minister was quoted in the statement as calling on the international community and donors to provide more support to improve living standards in the underprivileged areas outside the camp through providing water and sanitation services and implementing projects with impact on these areas.

 “Jordan is facing an enormous pressure with regard to its scarce water resources, and this pressure has been growing over the last years due to the influx of refugees. In this context, the German government has scaled up its longstanding cooperation with the Jordanian government in the water sector substantially," German Ambassador to Jordan Birgitta Siefker-Eberle said, stressing  that the "current portfolio of German development cooperation in the water sector has a volume of more than 1 billion Euros. Water is and will remain one of the focal areas of German development operation."

According to the statement, the new networks will have multiple positive outcomes including improvement of the living conditions inside the camp, improvement of environmental conditions for Jordanians and Syrian refugees, especially in safeguarding the Kingdom’s ground water resources, and increased cost-effectiveness in the provision of water and waste water services through reduction in trucking operations. 

“Today is a major milestone in terms of our partnership with the government of Jordan for water and sanitation operations — cost efficient, environmentally friendly, equitable and sustainable water supply and sanitation systems, for children and families,” said UNICEF Jordan Representative Robert Jenkins, voicing his appreciation for Germany's support to the project.

The network construction, which was financed by Germany through KfW Development Bankand, Canada, UK and the US is led by the Ministry of Water and UNICEF, the statement said, adding that the entire waste water network for the camp is expected to be completed by July 2018 followed by the water supply network by October 2018, the statement concluded.

AMMAN — HRH Prince Feisal, adviser to the King and chairman of the National Policy Council, on Thursday discussed with a delegation from the independent research Centre for American Progress to the strategic Amman-Washington relations.

The meeting, held at Al Husseiniya Palace, covered the Jordanian stances towards various regional issues, especially the peace process between Palestinians and Israelis, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Both parties highlighted the importance of intensifying efforts to relaunch the Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations until a just, permanent peace is reached on the basis of the two-state solution that can lead to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. 

The meeting also stressed the importance of finding a political solution to Syria's conflict on the basis of the Geneva Communiqué that can safeguard Syria's territorial unity and end the large-scale suffering of its people, Petra said. 

Prince Feisal and the delegation underscored the significance of sustaining the deescalation zone in southwestern Syria, which has been reached under a trilateral Jordanian-US-Russian agreement last year.

The meeting also reviewed the repercussions of the Syrian refugee influx on the Kingdom's economy, its limited resources and the pressures it puts on host communities.

Discussions also went over UNRWA's important role and the importance of enabling the relief agency to continue extending its educational, health and aid services to Palestinian refugees.

They also reviewed efforts aimed at combating terrorism within a holistic approach.

AMMAN  — The Senate on Thursday endorsed the 2018 Insolvency Law and the 2017 amendments to the Customs Law, as referred from the Lower House.

The Insolvency Law, according to its validating reasons, aims at enabling individuals and companies to reorganise their businesses when in a troubled financial situation under certain deals reached with creditors.

Under the law, “insolvency” is defined as the state when an institution or individual can no longer meet its financial obligations towards lenders.

The law also regulates the insolvency proceedings for foreign organisations operating in the Kingdom according to international conventions ratified by Jordan, according to Petra.

Also on Thursday, the Senate passed the 2011 International Multimodal Transport Law, the 2002 Companies Law and the 2018 amendments to the Customs Law as referred by the Lower House, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The Customs Law imposes a fine of no less than JD1,000 and no more than JD10,000 for smuggling or any act that can be described as smuggling, while imposing an imprisonment term of no less than one year and a fine of at least JD5,000 if the crime is repeated.

A Royal Decree was issued on Wednesday, proroguing the Parliament's second ordinary session as of May 12.