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AMMAN — Arab Potash Company (APC) Board Chairman Jamal Sarayrah on Tuesday inaugurated several projects at the Mutah University, with a total value of JD500,000, that aim at supporting the educational process at the university.

Sarayrah said that these projects are part of the APC's social and national responsibilities, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. University President Thafer Sarayrah said that the APC support is a "stimulator" to provide better scientific, medical and logistical efforts at the university.

AMMAN — Microfund for Women (MFW) has recently partnered with the "Mesh Mostaheel" programme, an initiative of "Newthink" in partnership with Ro’ya TV, Partners for Good and Parachute 16, a MFW statement said on Tuesday.

The programme aims at involving society in solving challenges it faces daily. Through the new partnership, MFW aims to solidify its commitment to supporting initiatives that offer all members of society, especially women, the opportunity to participate in creating innovative solutions to the challenges facing Jordanian society, according to the statment. 

AMMAN — Fifteen people were injured on Tuesday in a two-bus collision in Zarqa's Khaw area, according to the Civil Defence Department (CDD). Zarqa CDD personnel administered first aid to the injured at the location, before transferring them to the Zarqa Public Hospital, where they were listed in fair condition, according to a CDD statement. 

AMMAN — As all Jordanians are gearing up for the snowy weather expected for this weekend by turning to meteorology websites, a public girls school in the southern city of Maan decided to take it upon themselves to forecast weather conditions. 

A tour to a meteorology station in Maan organised by the Maan High School for Girls to learn more about weather related topics to help students in their classes was a turning point. 

According to one of the trip participants, Halimah Abu Tawilah, the trip did not go as expected. “The infrastructure and equipment were in poor conditions and we were very depressed realising that we did not take any advantage of that trip,” she told The Jordan Times in a phone interview. 

The school’s principal Suheer Salah said that the school struggles every year to arrange a field trip to one meteorology stations so that students can get hands on experience about the topics they study in class. 

“Such trips affect the students’ time spent at school and they require a lot of efforts on our part because they often take the whole day. Also, a limited number of students can be enrolled in these trips so not many of them can benefit from these field experiences,” she said. 

After the trip, Abu Tawilah and her fellow students met with the principal and suggested constructing a meteorology site inside the school, with the aim of having a positive impact on students. 

“We liked the idea as we thought that such a step will save time and effort for students and school staff. So, we contacted ArabiaWeather which sells small meteorology equipment. When the people from the website learned about our idea, they decided to donate the material instead of selling it,” she recalled. 

Another student, Ban Al Khattab said that school children will definitely benefit from the equipment. “This will help us do practical experiments at the school instead of just reading about it,” she said. 

Suheer noted that this is the “first ever” meteorology site set up at a public school in the southern part of the Kingdom. 

“This will not only have a positive impact on the school, but also on the entire city as other students are welcome to join and learn from our station,” she added.

The dedication of the students in establishing this station has become a source of pride for the school’s principal. “Now we can depend on ourselves in forecasting weather conditions,” she concluded.

AMMAN — The Jordanian Chamber of Commerce and Chamber of Industry on Tuesday organised a Jordanian-Algerian business forum in Algiers, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The forum aims to discuss ways of enhancing and developing economic ties between the two countries and increasing trade exchange. 

The forum included bilateral meetings between businessmen from the two countries, presentations of investment opportunities in Jordan and of the Jordanian industrial sector, opportunities and incentives offered by the Jordan Industrial Estates Company to investors, in addition to investment opportunities in Algeria.

The two countries are currently associated with several agreements, the most important of which are the protocol for the establishment of a joint Algerian-Jordanian economic activities council, the joint Algerian-Jordanian businessmen council agreement, a trade cooperation agreement, as well as other agreements for promoting and protecting investments.

Jordan’s exports to Algeria include milk powder, dairy products, medicines, fertilisers, natural potassium salts, mineral fertilisers, aluminium alloys, calcium carbonate (for industrial use), chemicals, clothing, pipes, tubes, rods, publications and paper.

During the opening ceremony of the forum, Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Yarub Qudah expressed his hope to establish new partnerships between Jordanian businessmen and their Algerian counterparts, and to expand cooperation and mutual investments, especially in economic sectors of common interest.

For his part, Algerian Minister for Industry and Mines Youcef Yousfi said that the forum is an opportunity to discuss the partnership between the business community in both countries and a chance to enhance economic cooperation between them. He stressed the two countries’ keenness to improve the conditions for the development of these companies, and to remove all obstacles facing investors in both countries.

AMMAN — Juveniles in 2016 perpetrated a total of 2,444 crimes, including 1,017 felonies and 1,427 misdemeanours, the Sisterhood Is Global Institute (SIGI) said on Tuesday.  

Citing the 2016 annual statistical report issued by the criminal information administration, SIGI noted that the 2016 figures witnessed a drop of 7.6 per cent, when compared to the 2,646 crimes registered in 2015, according to a SIGI statement.

The 2016 numbers included 241 crimes against people, 1,661 financial crimes, 173 on the public administration, 101 that threatened the public safety, 243 that violated public ethics and 16 suicides, among others, SIGI noted.

Juveniles perpetrated 20 murders that included eight premeditated murders and 12 manslaughter cases.  

The report showed that the sexual crimes that witnessed the highest increase rates between 2015 and 2016 were cases “offending honour” that stood at 220 in 2016 compared to 145 in 2015, marking an increase rate of 51 per cent.

Rape crimes witnessed a decrease to seven cases in 2016, compared to 10 cases in 2015, marking a 30 per cent drop, while adultery cases dropped by 66 per cent, where 2016 witnessed one case compared to three the year before.

The report also showed a big increase of 100 per cent in suicide cases among juveniles, increasing to 16 cases in 2016, compared to eight in the year before. 

SIGI said that the report did not mention the ages of females that were victims in rape cases perpetrated by juveniles, and the institute did not succeed in identifying their ages and nationalities. 

AMMAN — An online platform providing Arab moms with ideas, tips and testimonials about parenting and self-care is helping women in the region with parenthood. 

“When I gave birth to my two children, I realised that there were almost no Arabic resources on parenting. Whenever I needed advice or information, I had to look at Western websites which were often not adapted to my lifestyle,” recalled Dina Majeed, founder of 360Moms.

Citing examples such as mothers and children’s diet during Ramadan or breastfeeding in Arab countries, she highlighted the importance of having contextually adapted information for Arab moms.

“I decided to launch this website so I could share the concerns and questions I have about raising children in an Arab country with other moms,” explained Majeed, a mother of two, noting that she wanted to make it both easy to use and scientifically accurate.

“I started with a few experts in the field, including pediatricians, parenting specialists, nutritionist, etc. so that the website would offer evidence based and reliable information for mothers,” she told The Jordan Times in a recent interview.

The website, which displays thematic articles on pregnancy, health, education, self care, and nutrition, among others, also provides a discussion platform where mothers can ask questions and discuss their daily concerns.

“Women are often afraid to talk about the problems they are facing as mothers, and I wanted to show them they are not alone, and that others experience the same difficulties,” Majeed said, noting that this website encourages solidarity among mothers.

Furthermore, a whole section is dedicated to special needs children as Majeed highlighted the topic of disabilities as “a crucial issue” to talk about. 

Mothers of children with special needs, whether physical, psychological or emotional share their personal experiences, helping their peers living in the same situation.

“I used to be afraid to talk about my son’s autism. I even did not dare to take him out of the house by fear of what people would say,” recalled a mother who wrote on the website anonymously. 

Talking about societal taboos and sensitive topics is one of the aims of the website, which allows mothers to speak freely, about topics often under-discussed in public resources.

“Everyone is free to say whatever they want, as long as it is not offensive to others. Some moms put their full name and their picture next to their testimony while some prefer to use a nickname,” the website founder explained, stressing that the importance is “to raise awareness and knowledge on key issues related to parenthood”.

Since its launch two years ago, the website has gathered over 35,000 visits per month and counts over 62,000 followers across the region. The majority of users comes from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and, most importantly, America.

“There are lots of Arabs living in the US who need Arabic content and culturally adapted advice, which they cannot find in their country,” Majeed said.

Luma Jamjoum Barakat, a mother writing about raising her special needs son, said: “A lot of people have helped me, and I welcomed them with open arms. This is what I have learned from my son, to be patient, work hard, and learn from others. I became a big believer that exchanging experiences between parents has a positive outcome on us and our kids. I don’t feel alone in this world anymore.”

An updated version of the website is expected to be launched in February, displaying more user friendly content, including a Q&A section where moms will be able to ask questions directly to the experts working for the website.

“When I bring a specialist to work with us, I make sure that their work is recognised and legitimate. Each article published by our experts is linked to his/her biography and professional journey to ensure that mothers are provided with 100 per cent correct information,” Majeed underscored.

A contributor to the blog, Carine Aboud, wrote: “The stories helped me more than the research I could do because I could relate to them, which made me think my stories as a mother would help others.”

In addition to the website, 360 Moms also conducts monthly workshops on nutrition, pregnancy and first aids for infants, among others. 

“Since we started these workshops, the attendance has been incredible, with waiting lists for each workshop. Mothers are very demanding for these sessions that teach them crucial skills which they can hardly learn anywhere else,” Majeed explained.

“I am delighted to see how involved mothers from across the world have been and how supportive they have been of each other,” Majeed concluded, voicing hope for further development of the website in the future.

AMMAN — The Amman prosecutor on Tuesday ordered the detention of two journalists for allegedly publishing tax evasion accusations against the Finance Minister earlier this year.

Editor-in-chief of Jafra News Website Omar Maharmeh, who is also a board member of the Jordan Press Association (JPA) and reporter Shadi Zaynati were ordered detained at Marka Prison by Amman Prosecutor Abdullah Abul Ghanam, according to JPA members and JPA Lawyer Mahmoud Qteishat.

Minister of Finance Omar Malhas had filed a complaint against the two journalists after a news item reportedly appeared on Jafra website accusing him of “tax evasion during his service at the Housing Bank for Trade and Finance (HBTF)”, Qteishat told The Jordan Times.

The two journalists were summoned on Tuesday and ordered detained by Abul Ghanam following questioning, added Qteishat, who is only representing Maharmeh since Zaynati is not a JPA member.

The charges levelled against them include violation of the Electronic Crime Law, publishing false information and slandering an official.

“We tried to post a bail today to release them but, by the time the order was made by the prosecutor, it was too late because the working day was over,” Qteishat explained.

The lawyer said that he will post a bail first thing in the morning.

Abul Ghanam was unavailable all day on Tuesday despite Repeated attempts by The Jordan Times to comment on the decision to detain the journalists.

Meanwhile, JPA board member Khaled Qudah, who is also head of the Freedom’s Committee at the syndicate, denounced the arrests, stressing that the JPA is “against the detention of any individual in press freedom cases”.

“We are against detention before a final verdict is issued and the judiciary makes a fair decision. What if they were declared innocent? Who will compensate them for the time they were detained for?” Qudah told The Jordan Times.

Qudah added that the JPA is following up closely on the case in courts and “is in constant contact with officials to secure the release of both journalists”.

“This detention is not in favour of Jordan and reflects negatively on the country’s image internationally, especially since a JPA board member was arrested and there are tax evasion accusations against a minister,” Qudah added.

On January 9, the Income and Sales Tax Department (ISTD) Director General Bashar Nasser refuted as “inaccurate” the Jafra report accusing Malhas of tax evasion during his service at the HBTF.

Nasser said that Malhas disclosed his end of service gratuity as well as his income the year he received it from the HBTF, adding that he paid all of his taxes in accordance with the law.

Nasser explained that, according to Article 12 of the Income Tax Law No. 34 of 2014, the employer deducts the tax from the employee’s income (in this case, the HBTF) and deposits it at the ISTD. 

“This proves the inaccuracy of the news reported by several websites,”  he concluded.

Meanwhile, the Centre for Defending Freedom of Journalists on Tuesday issued a statement voicing its concern over the arrest or the two journalists.

In the statement, received by The Jordan Times, the centre said that the arrests would “affect the image of Jordanian democracy”, calling for amending the legislation that allows detention of journalists.

AMMAN — The Senate on Monday endorsed the 2018 draft state budget and budgets of independent government units draft laws as referred from the Lower House, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The endorsement came as the Upper House accepted the recommendations of its Finance and Economy Committee.

During a speech following the vote, Senate President Faisal Fayez said the senators understand the economic challenges that Jordan is passing through which are affecting the livelihoods of citizens due to regional conflicts and the dwindling foreign
aid to the Kingdom 

He stressed the importance of drafting plans and strategies by the government to face the challenges ensuing from the regional situation, achieve self-reliance and encourage investment to stimulate economy.

The bill is now awaiting the King’s endorsement and publishing in the Official Gazette to go into effect. 

The budget was endorsed by the Lower House on January 2 with a majority of 58 votes, in a session that witnessed a boycott of around 30 MPs.

Under the budget law submitted to the Parliament, domestic revenues stand at JD8.496 billion, compared with JD7.715 billion of reestimated revenues in 2017, while current expenditures are estimated at JD7.886 billion and capital expenditures at JD1.153 billion in 2018.

The after-grants deficit in 2018’s budget is expected to sway to around JD543 million in 2018, dropping by JD209 million in the reestimated value in the 2017 budget.

As for government units, revenues are estimated at JD1.664 billion and expenditures at JD1.812 billion with a deficit of JD148 million.

The combined deficit of the central government and government units will drop this year to JD831 million, down from JD1.035 billion in 2017.

The 2018 draft state budget includes, for the first time, a social safety network/cash subsidy with a value of JD171 million to make up for rising cost of living brought about by lifting subsidies. 

The cash support will be directed to each member of the army, security and civil service whose salary is below JD1,500, the government and the deputies agreed, as suggested by the Lower House’s Financial Committee, which studied the budget and made a set of recommendations. 

Other measures the government has agreed to include cancelling two conditions set originally for individuals to be eligible to receive the cash support, namely, the family should not own two cars or more and/or real estate worth JD300,000 and more. 

Otherwise, all Jordanian families whose total annual income does not exceed JD12,000 and individuals whose annual income is not more than JD6,000 will be eligible to receive the cash subsidy, estimated for each individual at around JD36 annually. 

The corrective measures to be implemented by the government, including public expenditure control, will increase revenues by JD450 million in 2018, according to the budget statement.

AMMAN — The Cabinet on Monday set JD26.4 as the per capita annual support to offset the impact of lifting the bread subsidy, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported, citing a Cabinet statement.

At a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Hani Mulki, the Cabinet set the threshold annual household income for the segments eligible for the cash support at JD12,000, while individuals who apply for the subsidy should prove that their yearly income does not exceed JD6,000.

For beneficiaries from the National Aid Fund (whose number is around 340,000), the per capita value of the cash subsidy is JD33, while children of Jordanian women married to non-Jordanians and residents who come from Gaza Strip are eligible to receive the JD27, if they meet the conditions applied to Jordanians. 

The council called on citizens to post their applications at www.da3mak.jo, announcing that so far 230,000 families have registered as beneficiaries.

The 2018 draft state budget includes, for the first time, a social safety network/cash subsidy with a value of JD171 million to make up for rising cost of living brought by lifting subsidies on bread and other commodities, whose sales tax is below 16 per cent with a list of exceptions announced by the Cabinet.  The Cabinet, according to Petra, said the net would cover 6.2 million Jordanians, out of 7.8 million citizens, while the rest of around 10 million are non-Jordanians.

The government’s statement detailed how the cash would be delivered to beneficiaries and how applicants, who are excluded from the support, can contest the decision.  

According to an infograph provided by the Cabinet, the total revenues expected from the corrective measures amount to JD540 million plus, which will be generated from lifting the bread subsidy and levying JD500-1500 on each importing car, depending on its weight, while vehicle ownership transfer fees will be reduced to range from JD30-200. Meanwhile, the government has raised the special tax on carbonated drinks from 10-20 per cent, and on Octane 95 and 98 gasoline to 30 per cent while JD0.20 has been added on cigarette packets, while all sales tax exemptions (zero and 4 per cent) have been modified at a unified rate of 10 per cent.  

The reduced taxes on essential commodities remain unchanged, including sugar, rice, flour, cooking oil, lamb, beef, chicken, fish, fresh milk, children’s milk, eggs, tea, school stationery, pesticides, fertilisers and veterinary medicines, in addition to equipment used by disabled persons for mobility and orthopedic devices. 

Petra reported that the estimated per capita consumption of bread and the items whose sales tax was raised is JD13.4 monthly after the subsidies have been removed, up from JD11.2 before the decision. The difference, JD2.2, will be paid to the deserving segments of the society, totalling JD26.4 per individual per year. 

The Cabinet’s statement noted that the government has allocated JD25 million in 2018 to increase support for the National Aid Fund (by JD10 million), the civil and military consumer outlets (JD10 million), and school nutrition programme (JD5 million). 

It also highlighted other previously announced decisions including the age segment (60-69) to the free medical insurance and keeping electricity subsidy for households that consume less than 300km/h a month, among other measures to mitigate the impact of the new changes.