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AMMAN — Public Security Department (PSD) Director Maj. Gen. Fadel Hmoud on Thursday met with Tunisian Ambassador to Jordan Khalid Suhaili and EU Ambassador to Jordan Andrea Matteo Fontana to discuss means of cooperation and exchange expertise in policing.

In a separate meeting with each official, Hmoud stressed that PSD's willingness to improve levels of cooperation with neighbouring countries in the security and policing fields, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

He highlighted the department’s readiness to offer its expertise and trained cadres to coordinate with other security apparatuses. For their part, Fontana and Suhaili commended the advanced level the PSD has achieved, voicing keenness to develop further cooperation. 

SAHAB — His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday paid a visit to Jerash Garments and Fashions Manufacturing Company (JGFMC) at Sahab Development Zone on the occasion of Labour Day.

The company, which was established in 2000, is an approved manufacturer by many well-known brands and retailers in Europe and the US, including Walmart, Costco, Sears, Hanes, Columbia, The North Face, Timberland, Wrangler, Lee, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger and Speedo.

JGFMC runs three locations and employs around 2,800 people, mostly women, including 800 Jordanians and 50 people with disabilities, along with nationals of Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, China, Nepal and Syria.

At a meeting with the company’s chairperson and senior executives, King Abdullah praised the firm for being the first Jordanian and Arab company to be listed on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange in New York City. Trading will begin on Friday.

The company became the first garment factory in Jordan authorised to export to the EU market under a 2017 relaxed rules of origin deal between the Kingdom and the union.

Total production capacity is approximately 500,000 pieces per month with exports to the US worth $62 million and the EU $300,000 in 2017.

During a meeting with the firm’s board members and top executives, King Abdullah affirmed his support for guest investors, stressing the importance of creating and maintaining an investment-friendly climate to enable companies to overcome challenges.

King Abdullah pointed out the importance of JGFMC’s contribution to the local community, which will eventually reflect positively on the national economic development.

He stressed that Jordanian women should be empowered to play a key role in productive sectors and become more active participants in economic activities.

His Majesty toured the factory to congratulate workers on the occasion of Labour Day and was met by a cheering crowd that voiced their appreciation for King Abdullah’s gesture to greet dozens of workers in person.  

The company’s Chairperson Choi Lin Hung and a number of executives briefed the King on the production process at the factory, including plans to open a new satellite project in Al Hasa, around 130km south of Amman, employing and training 500 women in the area.

The company’s plant in Hasa will include a nursery and a sports facility at the disposal of the local community. 

The chairperson said Jordan’s security and stability, as well as the incentives offered have encouraged the company to expand its investments and hire more Jordanians.

The company also works to empower local communities by providing training and employment opportunities as part of its corporate social responsibility, Hung added.

The chairman said the fact that the company has been listed on NASDAQ will help it expand and increase its investments in Jordan.

Meanwhile, Labour Minister Samir Murad said JGFMC is considered one of the “most important and successful Chinese investments in Jordan that is providing job opportunities to Jordanians”.

Executive Manager Oryana Awaysheh, a Jordanian, said that the company that will open in Hasa was the fruit of the King’s visit to The Netherlands “because he took representatives from the textile and agriculture industries there”, including executives from JGFMC.

“There, we agreed with several Dutch investors to export our products to The Netherland, which worked well for us and so we decided to expand our operation and build the new branch in Hasa,” Awaysheh explained.

She also pointed out that there are training centres at the company and so far “we have trained 150 Jordanian workers for free and also given them allowances”.

AMMAN — Sisters Oryana and Ala’ Awaysheh are managing over 2,800 employees at the Jerash Garments and Fashions Manufacturing Company (JGFMC) in the Sahab Development Zone.

The two sisters were among a crowd of factory officials and employees who greeted His Majesty King Abdullah during his visit to the establishment on Wednesday on the occasion of Labour Day.

Oryana was working as a teacher when she decided to quit the job and join the textile industry in 2005 as a regular employee, before she climbed the ladder gradually, serving in various divisions until she was named executive manager in 2011.

“I excelled at every post I served in this company because I had lots of ambition and wanted to reach a high position,” Oryana, 35, told The Jordan Times.

Meanwhile, Ala’, 33, who is now the human resources manager, joined the factory a few years ago following her sister’s employment.

“My sister encouraged me to join, and the factory executives were very supportive because they allowed me to complete my last year at college while working part-time there,” she told The Jordan Times.

Ala’ said she assumed many posts, and the management decided to promote her because of her “convincing performance”.

The younger sister stressed that the company always rewards its hardworking employees by “giving them bonuses or promotions”.

Abdul Latif Abu Ghweileh, 24, is one of the employees who started as a safety officer and was promoted to a managerial post almost one year later.

 “I studied Civil Protection and I first worked as a safety officer, then one year into my employment, I was promoted to safety manager because the management realised that I was serious and dedicated in my work,” Ghweileh told The Jordan Times.

Sufian Malalha is a person with a physical disability who insisted on working at the factory’s site although he was offered a salary and to stay at home, according to Ala’.

“The factory’s policy encourages hiring persons with disabilities and Malalha was hired to prepare the clothes for ironing but he was physically tired from work,” Ala explained.

“We offered him the choice to get a salary while at home, but he refused and insisted on working
with us,” Ala’ said.

Ala’ concluded by saying that “what distinguishes our factory is that we live in a family atmosphere where we all eat together and work together”.

AMMAN — Concluding a two-day visit to Jordan on Tuesday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe tweeted yesterday that “Jordan has played a core role in the stability of the region for many years, including the acceptance of Syria refugees. It is a great partner in the Middle East for Japan”.

The remarks echoed statements he made while in Jordan, where he met with His Majesty King Abdullah and Prime Minister Hani Mulki.

During his meeting with the Japanese leader, the King stressed that Japan is a strong partner for Jordan, and “we highly appreciate its leadership role globally”, while Abe stressed that Tokyo would work on developing the “distinguished relations between our countries to the level of strategic partnership”. 

He said that Jordan’s stability is indispensable for regional stability, and his country would continue providing assistance to Jordan as much as possible, so as to ensure the Kingdom’s social and economic stability and to support its development efforts.

He also said Japan respects and encourages His Majesty’s efforts to counter violent extremism, as well as his efforts to promote the Middle East peace process.

Japanese companies› CEOs accompanying Abe expressed interest in expanding investment projects in Jordan.

He made similar remarks during the press conference, where he said Jordan has a potential to become a hub in the logistics and information technology sectors.

The Japanese premier said that some major Japanese companies are already investing in infrastructure projects such as a solar and thermal power generation project, adding that others have expressed interest in entering the Jordanian market.

He announced that Jordan and Japan have “agreed in substance on a Japanese-Jordanian investment agreement”, which he said shows “the improvement of the business environment” in Jordan.

AMMAN — A Royal Decree was issued on Wednesday, proroguing the Parliament's second ordinary session as of May 12, a statement from the Royal Court said.

Under Article 34 of the Constitution, the King has the power to convene, inaugurate, adjourn and prorogue the Parliament.  

His Majesty King Abdullah inaugurated the 18th Parliament second ordinary session on November 12 with a Speech from the Throne.

During the second ordinary session, the two Houses of Parliament passed the 2018 state budget and budgets of independent government units laws and a number of other key laws.

The two chambers met in two joint sessions during the second session to resolve their disputes over a number of laws.

The Lower House said it had convened in 34 sessions from November 12, 2017, till February 28, 2018, 27 of which were on legislative matters while the remaining seven were dedicated to oversight on government’s performance. The chamber said that it has endorsed a total of 20 bills during that period.

Around 10 laws were passed during the 16 meetings the House held from March 1 to April 26.

On January 23, the House held a special oversight session to discuss price and tax hikes which saw a number of MPs criticising the public economic policies with some requesting a vote of no confidence in Prime Minister Hani Mulki's government, which was held on February 18.

A total of 67 deputies voted “yea” for granting confidence to the government, while 49 withheld confidence and 8 abstained. A total of 122 deputies out of the 130-seat Lower House attended the session.

MPs suggested changes to major laws during the second ordinary session, including the Income Tax Law and the Social Security Corporation Law. 

A new tax law has been drafted and will be examined by the Cabinet, reportedly to be submitted to the Parliament during an expected extraordinary session.

AMMAN — Deputising for His Majesty King Abdullah, Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh on Wednesday opened the Jordan Economic Forum at the Dead Sea, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The forum was organised by the Lower House's economic and investment committee.

The forum discussed four main subjects: Fiscal and investment policies, economic refourms including the Economic Growth Plan, improving the national institutions and human resources and related social issues. 

During the opening ceremony, attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Prime Ministry Affairs Jamal Sarayreh, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Economic Affairs Jafar Hassan and a number of senior officials, Tarawneh stressed the importance of cooperation between the legislative and executive authorities to boost economic growth.

He said that the legislative authority should prioritise drafting law pieces to lay the groundwork to create an attracting investment environment; meanwhile, the executive authority should dedicate all capabilities to remove "obstacles" that would hinder economic activities.

Building a strong economy that is able of generating jobs and improving community's livings requires an active and efficient partnership between the public and the private sector, the speaker said.

Reforming the administrative body of the public sector is a priority that does not tolerate procrastination, Tarawneh said, urging the private sector to adopt promising initiatives that would contribute to curbing poverty and joblessness.

For his part, Hassan said that it is imperative to have solid and resilient financial and fiscal policies, a matter which necessitates a lower debt-to-GDP ratio, which stands now at around 95 per cent. Downsizing public debt is a prerequisite to the success of economic growth stimulation plans, he stressed. 

The stimulation plan, he said, requires concerted efforts by all government agencies that should implement blueprints that have been ready for years, blaming lack of progress to “reluctance and [unjustifiable] delays”. 

Hassan noted that the stimulation drive entails 97 programmes, 92 corrective measures and 23 investment projects, stressing that self-reliance is among the major goals of the scheme.

Finance Minister Omar Malhas focussed in his remarks on the needed tax reforms, noting that almost half of the draft income tax law addresses tax evasion, improving tax collection and the best use of technology to achieve these goals. 

The minister said that a financial investigation department will be established to further help in addressing tax evasion.

On tax revenues, Malhas said that 70 per cent of Treasury revenues are received from indirect taxes, which constitute an inverted pyramid, as public revenues should be generated directly from taxes.

AMMAN — Jordan has a potential to become a hub in the logistics and information technology sectors, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said during a press conference on Tuesday.

Accompanied by a high-profile business delegation and CEOs from various Japanese companies, the premier said that some major Japanese companies are already investing in infrastructure projects, such a solar and thermal power generation project, adding that others have expressed interest in entering the Jordanian market.

He announced that Jordan and Japan have “agreed in substance on a Japanese-Jordanian investment agreement”, which he said shows “the improvement of the business environment” in Jordan.

There is potential for cooperation not only when it comes to major companies, but also with smaller ones, Abe pointed out, highlighting Japan’s keenness to benefit from the talented Jordanian workforce.

“What is important in this visit is for companies to see the situation with their own eyes. I hope this will lead to further investments by Japanese firms in Jordan,” the premier stated.

Abe commended Jordan’s commitment to the economic and financial reform plans and its endeavours to create more jobs, voicing Japan’s readiness to support the Kingdom in the vocational training sector. 

Commending Jordan’s efforts in hosting some 1.3 million Syrian refugees, Abe announced a donation of about $15 million to Jordan, Lebanon and Syria to help alleviate the impact of the Syrian crisis.

“Jordan made tremendous contribution by generously accepting a large number of Syrian refugees,” he said, commending the Kingdom’s role in seeking regional peace and stability, and its efforts in restoring the momentum to the peace process between Palestinians and Israelis.

“We will continue to support His Majesty’s efforts in this regard,” he said, adding that Japan has been working with Jordan to help push the peace process between Israel and Palestine forward in line with the two-state solution that allows for peaceful coexistence and regional stability.

Also Tuesday, a memorandum of understanding was signed with the Japanese government to provide the Municipal Affairs Ministry with a grant to improve waste management devices and equipment in northern governorates.

The $15.3-million grant, signed by Planning and International Cooperation Minister Imad Fakhoury and Japanese Ambassador to Jordan Hidenao Yanagi, aims at alleviating the Kingdom’s burdens in hosting Syrian refugees under the 2018-2022 Jordan Response Plan, Petra reported.

AMMAN — Over 3,500 out-of-school Syrian and Jordanian children are set to get back into the formal education system following their attendance of the Catch-Up programme implemented by the Ministry of Education in cooperation with UNICEF, which has recorded an increase in enrolment of 36 per cent since the beginning of the current academic year. 

Launched in November 2016, the programme caters to out-of-school children aged between nine and 12 years old who have missed school for over three years, including them into an advanced learning path and integrating them back into the formal education system. 

UNICEF Deputy Representative Ettie Higgins attributed the increase in the programme’s participation to the outreach campaign implemented by the UN agency over the past academic year, which reached a total of 5,000 children, 20 per cent of whom were eligible to return to the formal education system. 

“But it is not only the campaign that made it possible,” Higgins told The Jordan Times, highlighting the efforts of the Ministry of Education and the increase in the number of institutions offering the service in around 100 centres located in host communities and refugee camps.  

“Cumulatively, the programme has reached over 4,000 students up to this point,” the official continued, adding that “as per last month, 550 children were already back into the formal education system, and we are expecting this number to increase as more children graduate from the Catch-Up programme”. 

About 6,000 more children are expected to be targeted during the upcoming academic year, according to Higgins, who expressed hopes to “build on the success of the programme and continue to reach more out-of-school children”.

In addition, children over the age of 12 who are uneligible to get back into the formal education system are able to get involved in Dropout programmes which provide them with learning opportunities towards further education and employment choices in their adult phase. 

“The Dropout programme is key for children and teenagers in other age groups to ensure a future,” Higgins said, noting that the initiative reached a total of 3,000 students last year, and UNICEF is aiming to scale it up in the near future.  

But, despite the progress, only 142,000 Syrian refugee children were enrolled in the public school system as per last year, out of the 230,000 Syrian refugees that are school-aged, according to UNICEF figures.

An additional 30,000 children were attending non-formal education and approximately 58,000 children were not participating in any form of   organised learning, while an estimated 30,000 vulnerable Jordanian children were also out of school.

AMMAN — First Lady of Japan Akie Abe on Tuesday visited the Zaatari refugee camp and the Queen Rania Family and Child Centre (QRFCC), the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

During her visit to Zaatari, Abe checked on the situation of the Syrian refugees and was briefed on the burdens Jordan is shouldering in light of the large influx of refugees.

During her tour of the camp, she took a firsthand look at services and aid and training programmes provided by UN organisations, before distributing gifts to women and children.

At QRFCC, which is affiliated with the Jordan River Foundation (JRF), the first lady checked on the centre's programmes and services provided to the local community as part of JRF's programme to protect children.

Director General of JRF Enaam Barishi briefed Abe on the programmes provided to increase children's awareness and skills regarding protection against abuse.

Barishi said that the centre provides several programmes and initiatives such as the Beit Saghir programme "small house", which was launched to increase self awareness and emotional intelligence, in addition to learning about body privacy, potential discovery and personal skills enhancement.

Abe was also introduced to the "Glass House" programme, which aims to teach children about building self confidence and managing time through planting activities.

The first lady arrived in the Kingdom on Monday, accompanying her husband Prime Minister Shinz Abe on a two-day official visit.

AMMAN — Participants in a conference that kicked off on Wednesday to tackle the issue of smart mobility in urban cities will explore the best solutions to overcome road congestion in Amman.

Organised by the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM), the two-day event comes as part of the CREATE project, a three-year research funded by the European Union to address the problem of urban road congestion and the extent to which smart solutions can help cities transition towards sustainable mobility.

The rapid growth of cities more than ever requires their administrations to adopt the "smart city model" especially in light of always more complex social, economic and technological networks challenges, said Hazem Neimat, deputy mayor of GAM.

Efficient usage of information and telecommunication technologies is greatly needed to develop creative solutions for urban sustainability issues such as water, energy and transportation, Neimat added. 

CREATE advisory board member David Bull said that 3 million euros were spent on the project to study ways to reduce road congestions. "We do not have to build new roads instead we need to look for healthy and more efficient methods to reach sustainable growth in cities,” he said. 

Meanwhile, a representative of the EU delegation to Jordan, Olfa Alouini, stressed that achieving sustainable and inclusive cities requires joint efforts by the government, operators of transportation services and users to reduce road congestions, noting that CREATE project is part of the Horizon 2020 project.

Horizon 2020 is the biggest EU research and innovation programme, with nearly 80 billion euros of funding available over seven years (2014-2020), in addition to the private investment stemming from this funding, she explained, noting that it aims to produce world-first breakthroughs and discoveries by "taking great ideas from the lab to the market". 

During a panel titled "To what extent can smart mobility accelerate a transition towards sustainable mobility in growing cities", leader of the project's Future Developments’ Work Package Tom Cohen reviewed transport technologies developing around the world like autonomous vehicles and new methods making use of old transportation such as minibuses to reduce traffic. 

Smart does not necessarily mean new but rather rediscovering new ways to use old things, Cohen stressed following presentations by transportation experts from London and Vienna. 

He noted that the project studied the history of mobility in modern cities and how such techniques were progressively developed in order to help cities like Amman, which is witnessing rapid growth in population and car ownership, to avoid the mistakes made in the past.