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AMMAN — The Industry, Trade and Supply Ministry’s inspection teams have recorded 66 violations over the past two days, 11 of which were at bakeries and six at restaurants, a ministry statement said on Sunday.

The total number of violations since the beginning of January reached 209 so far, Ministry Spokesperson Yanal Barmawi said, citing the non commitment to prices or the lack of clear price announcement.

Barmawi said that the ministry’s teams have conducted 1,670 visits to outlets, stressing that the ministry will continue its campaigns to ensure commitment to prices. 

AMMAN — The Jordan Society for Scientific Research (JSSR) on Sunday announced that it will hold the 4th International Economic Conference titled “Boosting Jordanian Economy: Facts and Challenges” on February 21, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

JSSR called on all economists, officials, researchers and academicians from around the world to take part in the conference, which will discuss the current economic situation of Jordan as well as prospects of reviving its economy.

Anwar Battikhi, JSSR director, said the conference “aims at introducing the Jordanian economy, attracting opportunities and limiting challenges”.

The society had previously conducted three similar conferences, describing this one as a “moderated scientific conference” which “meets the highest standards”, pointing out that the results and recommendations of the conference will be sent to the decision makers in Jordan.

AMMAN — The Sisterhood Is Global Institute (SIGI) on Sunday called for the amendment of the 10th article of the civil status law by cancelling the exception which allows for child marriage, according to an SIGI statement.

The exception results in 10,000 annual cases of child marriage where 55 girls (aged between 15 and 18) are getting married annually out of each thousand girls.

In case the marriage age is not changed to 18 years old, the institute recommends limiting the exception to the age of 16 and restricting this law with regulations that guarantee young females’ rights.

“Modifying this law corresponds with the compulsory education law, and reduces the negative social and health consequences of early marriage”, the statement added.

AMMAN — The Jordan Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Fund (JREEEF) on Sunday signed agreements with the Princess Taghrid Orphanage and the White Beds Society’s (Al Asirra Al Baydaa) elderly home to implement energy efficiency applications in their buildings with a total cost of JD175,000.

Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Saleh Kharabsheh, who signed the agreements in his capacity as JREEEF chairman, said that the agreements aim at supporting the two organisations in their humanitarian duties in presenting care services to the elderly and orphan girls, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

After the implementation of the projects, the power bill at the Princess Taghrid Orphanage is expected to reach zero, while the White Beds Society’s power bill is expected to decrease by 50 per cent.

AMMAN — The Princess Sumaya University for Technology (PSUT) on Sunday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Arab League’s Arab Administrative Development Organisation and the Saudi Prince Muhammad Bin Fahed University.

The memo is aimed at supporting scientific, technical and technological cooperation in issues of mutual concern of the three sides, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The memo stipulates exchanging scientific expertise among the three sides according to available specialisations, holding training courses and exchanging scientific periodicals, among others.

AMMAN — Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) personnel have seized 200,000 drug pills hidden between rocks in Northern Badia, Mafraq, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Sunday.

A security source said that following a tip-off, AND personnel started an investigation on suspects allegedly hiding drug pills in the desert, adding that investigation was still ongoing. 

AMMAN — Two people on Sunday died after inhaling gas from a heater at their home in Mafraq, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. The Civil Defence Department (CDD) personnel transferred the bodies to Mafraq Public Hospital.

Also in Marka, four people suffocated from gas heater emissions. They have been transferred by CDD cadres to Marka Military Hospital where they were reported to be in fair condition, Petra reported on Sunday.

The CDD called on citizens to be cautious while dealing with heaters of all kinds and not to sleep with heaters on.

AMMAN — The Lower House on Sunday recommended that the government draft an amended version of the General Tax Law giving MPs the exclusive power to set tax upper limits.

During Sunday’s special session on the recent increases to sales taxes, a majority of deputies voted a set of recommendations which are “binding for the government”, according to Speaker Atef Tarawneh.

Lawmakers also recommended that the government put in place a comprehensive economic plan to increase public revenues, suggest solutions to unemployment and reconsider the tax imposed on certain commodities.

MPs also called for lowering agricultural production costs and opening new markets for local agricultural exports.

Citing public safety and the need to curb traffic accidents, MPs also called on the government to exempt tyres from the recent increase to sales tax.

The cancellation of the tax on books and stationary was among the recommendations the House made, which also included a call on the government to set the profit margin for pharmaceutical imports.

MPs also called for monitoring banks’ measures concerning interest rates to prevent manipulation.

Lawmakers also called for opening new branches for the civil and military consumer corporations and supporting the Consumer Protection Society.

The session saw a total of 47 MPs criticising the recent increases to the prices and sales tax on a number of commodities with several legislators calling on the government to reconsider its economic policies to alleviate the burdens on the low- and middle-income households.

MPs also called on the government to find other alternatives to “citizens’ empty pockets” and to increase the salaries and pensions of civil and military personnel by JD50.

The session witnessed a group of MPs shouting in dismay over Tarawneh’s decision to abruptly end the deliberations and order a vote on the recommendations.

The Reform bloc, the largest in the House, issued a statement expressing “sorrow and rejection” of Tarawneh’s decision which, it said, “violated the Chamber’s bylaws”.

In a statement to The Jordan Times, the bloc called for another general session to resume the House discussion of new price and tax increases.    

AMMAN — The National Council for Family Affairs (NCFA) on Sunday signed a courtroom TV connection agreement to help children speak out and testify in cases of domestic violence and abuse. 

The agreement came in line with Her Majesty Queen Rania’s keenness on protecting children and providing an environment that is free of stress and fear to help children give their testimonies away from their offenders at court, an NCFA statement said.

The NCFA, whose board of trustees is chaired by Her Majesty, signed the agreement with the Jordanian Judiciary Council, the Justice Ministry and the Public Security Department, with the support of UNICEF and UNHCR. 

According to the agreement, there will be special rooms for children at courts, which will be connected to trial rooms via TV, the statement added.

“Jordan has been a leading country in enacting legislation to ensure protection for children,” according to the council, which added that the Kingdom has already amended Article 158 of the Criminal Procedures Law to allow using this technology in litigation, including TV connection inside courts and between courts and detention centres.

The amendments also stipulate ensuring the confidentiality of recordings, the statement said.  

AMMAN — People’s demand for bread declined following the increase in bread prices due to the lifting of the government subsidy that went into effect on Saturday, according to baker Zaid Sandouqa. 

In light of this new decision, Sandouqa, who owns a bakery in Amman’s Wadi Al Seer, decided to launch a campaign to distribute free bread to underprivileged families. 

“I cannot lower the prices of bread as the expenses I have to meet are high, so I thought about designing a section in my shop where I provide bread for people who are not able to purchase it,” he told The Jordan Times over the phone on Sunday. 

On Friday evening, Industry, Trade and Supply Minister Yarub Qudah announced that the upper limit of the small pita bread almost doubled to JD0.40, JD0.32 for large pita bread and JD0.35 for Arabic bread (mashrouh and taboun) per kilogramme.

The other types of bread and flour-based sweets were not subsidised. 

For his part, Sufian Twaisi, a bakery owner in Maan, pinned a placard at the entrance of the outlet announcing that people who cannot afford to buy bread can have it free of charge. 

He stressed that Jordanians should “stand united” in the face of this new price hike. 

“We have to support people who cannot afford to buy bread. There are so many underprivileged families who live in small villages and the Badia in abject poverty. So a bread distribution campaign would be a good idea,” he told The Jordan Times over the phone. 

Twaisi also noticed that people’s demand for bread was lower than usual during the weekend, especially in the southern parts of the Kingdom, which underwent cold weather conditions. 

Sandouqa is aware that even poor people would be reluctant to ask for free bread “because they have dignity”, so he started approaching people at their own homes.