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AMMAN — The Cabinet on Wednesday discussed and endorsed the 2018 budget speech that will be presented before the Lower House on Sunday.

The Constitution stipulates that the government present draft laws of the general budget and budgets of independent government units to the Parliament at least one month before the beginning of the fiscal year.

The 2018 budget speech outlines challenges of the national economy and their repercussions on the economic performance in 2017, which mainly includes low economic growth rates, high unemployment rates and serious repercussions of hosting Syrian refugees, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The speech also highlights the additional procedures implemented by the government in 2017 related to the continued reform process that adopts financial control policies, rationalising expenditure and enhancing local revenues. 

The Cabinet on Sunday okayed the draft state budget law for 2018, with a foreseen increase in the domestic revenues to cover 98.9 per cent compared with 92.5 per cent in 2017.
According to the draft, the domestic revenues are estimated at JD8.496 billion, of which JD7.796 billion comes from domestic sources and JD700 million from foreign grants.

The budget planners also see a slight expansion of 3.2 per cent in spending and an estimated deficit of JD688 million. In figures, public spending for next year is estimated to reach JD9.039 billion, up by JD572 million over public expenditure reestimated for 2017, including JD7.886 billion as current spending and JD1.153 billion as capital expenditures.

AMMAN — Jordan is among the 37 countries worldwide in which prospects for children are declining in at least one key respect, according to a UNICEF global analysis conducted on the occasion of the World Children's Day celebrated on Monday. 

“It is very important to stress that children prospects in Jordan are not declining in general, but in very specific aspects,” UNICEF representative in Jordan, Robert Jenkins, told The Jordan Times, pointing out an increase in child marriage among Syrian refugee girls residing in Jordan.

“Jordan has been successful in several other aspects, such as the percentage of schooled children in the Kingdom,” Jenkins continued, noting that “now, it is time to focus on improving the lives of the most vulnerable children”.

Juliette Touma, UNICEF Regional Chief of Communication in the Middle East and North Africa, said that "Jordan has made significant advances in the matter of children's rights, but the impact of the refugee crisis over the past years has left the country with a decline on the resources ready for children."

"Jordan has been accommodating a huge number of child refugees and that increased the pressure on the country," Touma continued, noting that "UNICEF commends Jordan's role in receiving so many refugees, and stands ready by the Jordanian government to support its efforts for all children to reach all services in the Kingdom." 

In a recent interview with The Jordan Times, economist Isam Qadamani outlined the effect that the refugee crisis has had in the provision of basic services such as education or healthcare.

“More than half of the Syrian refugees in Jordan are under the age of 18, which places great pressure on educational capacity. Jordan has opened an additional 98 schools in two shifts to ease pressure on classroom size, and as a result, the proportion of students enrolled in double-shift schools increased from 7.6 per cent in 2009 to 13.4 per cent in 2014,” the economist said, noting that “in Amman and Irbid, about half of the schools suffer from overcrowding, and their capacity is limited to absorbing additional numbers of students.”

“The Jordanian healthcare system is under pressure in terms of financial resources and the ability to provide services,” continued Qadamani, adding: “For some citizens, the influx of Syrian refugees has made access to
healthcare more difficult and expensive.”

However, Jordan was only one of the 8 countries in the Arab region included on the list issued by UNICEF, which also featured Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Libya, Lebanon, Comoros and Djibouti.
A total of 180 million children worldwide live in countries where they are more likely to live in extreme poverty, be out of school or be killed by violent death than children living in the same countries 20 years ago, while 1 in 12 children worldwide has worse prospects than their parents, according to the report. 

“While the last generation has seen vast, unprecedented gains in living standards for most of the world’s children, the fact that a forgotten minority of children has been excluded from this — through no fault of their own or those of their families — is a travesty” said Laurence Chandy, UNICEF’s director of data, Research and policy.

“At a time of rapid technological change leading to huge gains in living standards, it is perverse that hundreds of millions are seeing living standards actually decline, creating a sense of injustice among them and failure among those entrusted with their care,” Chandy continued, adding that “it is no wonder they feel their voices are unheard and futures uncertain”.

“It is the hope of every parent, everywhere, to provide greater opportunities for their children than they themselves enjoyed when they were young,” he added, concluding that “this World Children’s Day, we have to take stock of how many children are instead seeing opportunities narrow and their prospects diminish.”

AMMAN — The government has implemented some 70 per cent of projects financed by the Gulf grant, official data announced on Tuesday.

The money transferred by Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE under the grant totalled $2.668 billion, amounting to 71 per cent of the total grant of $3.75 billion, according to a statement by the Planning and International Cooperation Ministry. 

The government has listed projects funded under the grant in the state budget between 2012 and 2018, and were the budget laws for these years have been duly endorsed by Parliament in line with the Constitution. 

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in 2011 agreed a grant to finance priority development schemes in Jordan, where Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE honoured their pledges by providing $1.25 billion each.

Qatar has not fulfilled its commitment to pay 25 per cent of the total sum.  

The funds were allocated to finance development projects in various sectors, including energy, mineral resources, education, health, municipalities, roads, water and sanitation, local development, investment and ICT.

The three GCC countries tasked their development funds with managing and executing the grant in coordination with the government according to the best international practices, the statement added.

AMMAN — Shopping online for clothes and shoes currently holds a 35 per cent market share in Jordan, a sector leader has said.

In remarks to the Jordan News Agency, Petra, on Tuesday, President of the Garment Traders Association Sultan Allan said that e-shops have created a “complex dilemma for traditional garment and footwear traders”.  

Allan stressed that it is inequitable to keep an open door for the marketing of imported goods that compete unfairly with the local sector traders. He emphasised the need to complete a law regulating electronic shopping as most countries do. 

He claimed that exemptions are granted for postal packages that substantially exceeded the consumer needs, noting that the continuation of this imbalance will have serious repercussions on the garment and footwear trade sector and threaten their investments.

AMMAN — The 2nd century AD was a period of prosperity for Jerash, which was a huge city with many residents, noted Cathrin Pogoda, a German researcher, based on her study of the tombs and grave goods which “don’t reflect the entire society — but the upper class”.

“Status has long determined the type of burial and grave goods people get. To build a Hypogeum or a mausoleum or to order a stone sarcophagus was not something everyone could afford,” she told The Jordan Times in a recent e-mail interview. 

Objects in graves

According to the German scholar, the most common grave goods included pottery (mostly oil lamps, jugs, different kind of jars, amphoras and cups), glassware (mostly unguentaria — small bottles for liquids) and jewellery. 

Most of the tombs were chambered tombs of different sizes and quality, Pogoda explained, adding that they were equipped with adjoining rooms, boundary fences and altars. 

The spectrum ranged from individual tombs to collective graves, she highlighted, stressing that the individual tombs consisted either of inhumation burial pits covered with slabs or a sarcophagus. 

The multiple burials were graves with two or more sepulchral niches or loculi of different sizes, while collective graves appeared as hypogea or columbaria, she noted.

“Some monumental mausoleums were arranged alongside the arterial roads. The tomb of the centurion Germanus is the most famous and the best preserved as it is located about 100 metres from the large water basin of Birketein. The door lintel conveys an inscription which dates the construction as being from the second half of the 3nd century AD,“ Pogoda underlined.

Furthermore, several burial practices were existing at the same time including complete skeletons (with and without the skull), ash and burned human bones, she continued.

The necropolis in the city extended across the breadth of the ancient city, she said, noting that numerous tombs were discovered, but very few have been systematically excavated. “Many of them simply disappeared without any documentation of the ground plan or registration of the precise location. Therefore, the tombs are under intense threat as the growth of the modern city rapidly encroaches into the area immediately beyond the ancient city walls and often extends over necropolis and tombs,” she explained.

Sarcophagi decoration

The most famous necropolis and tombs are the Southern necropolis (located in the area of the Hadrian Arc and the Hippodrome), the Northwest necropolis (located in a residential area and endangered by destruction and the Southwest one.

In addition to the burial practices of residents of the Roman Jerash, there are plenty of sarcophagi inside the ancient city walls, which indicates the number of tombs from that period, Pogoda stressed.

One hundred and six sarcophagi have been found so far, but there are still some to be discovered in the hinterland of Jerash, the archaeologist noted. “They all consist of the local limestone and constitute a relatively select group within the Province of Arabia,” she said. 

A common feature of these sarcophagi is decoration and they are classified into seven different types, the expert stressed. 

“The first is the so-called Amazon-Shield-Type, named after the decoration on its front. In the middle, there is most commonly a wreath with a Hercules’ knot,” Pogoda explained, adding that the representation of Amazon-Shields on sarcophagi is rarely documented outside of Jerash.

“I assume that the special presentation was limited to Gerasa due to the fact that nearly one third of the sarcophagi from here exhibit this iconography,” she underscored.

Another common motif is the pseudo-handles which either imitates handles placed on sarcophagi in order to carry them or the handles, where garlands were hanging on which was assumed from wooden sarcophagi, Pogoda elaborated.

“The number of sarcophagi which were found inside the hypogea varies: the largest tomb includes 12 of them,” the archaeologist said.

Due to the fact, that none of these sarcophagi shows either inscriptions or stylistically relevant clues, it will be a difficult, yet, not impossible to date them, she argued.

The deposits of undisturbed burials provide an opportunity for ascertaining a date, Pogoda explained, adding that even the disturbed tombs often contain a rich inventory such as pottery, jewellery and coins. 

Pogoda said that her future research will result in a corpus of locally produced limestone sarcophagi and further a collocation of the tombs and necropolis of Jerash. 

“It will be a contribution to the understanding of provincial societies in the Roman Empire and the self-representation of its local elites. My concern is to provide invaluable documentation and material that will otherwise be lost and which is important in helping to secure the cultural heritage,” Pogoda concluded.

AMMAN — The European Film Festival (EUFF) is returning to Amman for its 29th edition, which will run from November 23 to December 2 at the Haya Cultural Centre, said European Union National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC) project manager, Gaelle Sundelin.

Held annually to “strengthens the ties between the European and Jordanian cultures by providing a window on the European culture for the local audience “, the event is coming back for a “bigger and bolder” edition this year, according to Stephane Delaporte, Director of the French Institute in Jordan.

Since last year, the EUFF, which is organised by the EU Delegation in Jordan and EUNIC, has become a “full blown festival” featuring a number of cultural activities alongside the movie screenings, the organisers said at the presser announcing the event.

The 2017 edition will feature 21 movies from 20 European countries, with a record number of films subtitled in Arabic, marking a high increase from last year’s total of 11 movies.

Free daily screenings will be available for the public at 6 and 9pm, in the longest-running foreign film festival in the Kingdom.

“Cinema is probably one of the most accessible artistic outlets to show the diversity of Europe, especially through the different genres which all reflect various characteristics of European countries. That is why it is important for us to keep this festival free of charge to make it affordable and attractive to the largest audience possible,” Antonio Lazaro, EUNIC president told The Jordan Times. 

“This year holds many surprises, as we have a lot of fun activities on top of the film productions which include dance performances, concerts and European receptions,” , Sundelin said, noting that the event will offer cinephiles the chance to meet with noted directors, actors and producers on the sidelines of the screenings.

“It has become much more than a film festival. We are going to conduct debates, workshops and masterclasses with professionals from the industry in order to engage the local audience in an interactive learning environment,” said Sundelin, noting that the week will kick off on Thursday with a dancing show gathering foreign and local DJs at the Kick Bar in Shmeisani.

“We, as humans, need to dream, to tell stories that preserve our heritage and traditions and we also need to create in order to open new horizons,” said Delaporte, noting that the public will have the chance to get involved and become his/her own filmmaker and designer through a mobile phone film competition and a poster competition open to all.

The European Day of Languages will conclude the celebrations on December 2, offering participants a full immersion experience into the European lifestyle with cultural and traditional activities such as drawing, reading and cooking, according to the organisers.

The award-winning movies to be screened include productions from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK, according to the EUFF website.

More information on the festival can be found on www.euffjordan.com 

AMMAN — Jordan managed to transform the so-called Arab Spring into an “opportunity for reforms”, while some other Arab countries have witnessed destruction, bloodshed and war, Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh said on Tuesday.

During a meeting with a delegation from the National Defence College of the United Arab Emirates, Tarawneh reviewed the various reforms carried out by the Kingdom at the political, socioeconomic and administrative levels, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Jordan was able to deliver its vision on various national and pan-Arab issues, particularly the Palestinian cause, “thanks to the wisdom and leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah”, he added.

He referred to the problems facing Jordan, especially at the economic level, citing the repercussions of regional crises and refugee influxes on the Kingdom.

Jordan bears heavy socioeconomic and security burdens, Tarawneh said, adding that the global community has not honoured its obligations and duties under international law, as it has not offered more than 30 per cent of what the Kingdom presented as its current needs.

Head of the visiting delegation, Brig. Gen. Khalid Qattan, commended the role of the Lower House in the national reform process and praised the Jordanian-UAE ties, which he described as “historic and deep-rooted”.

Also on Tuesday, Foreign Affairs Minister Ayman Safadi met with the visiting Emirati delegation, and commended the “historic and brotherly” ties that witness development at various levels.

He underscored the important role of the Jordan-UAE Committee meetings, held in Abu Dhabi in October under the motto: “Towards a Wider Perspective of Bilateral Cooperation”, in further fostering economic, political, cultural and security coordination, based on the two countries’ visions and goals.

Safadi also highlighted the Kingdom’s efforts in countering regional challenges and finding political solutions to the Middle East crises, so as to ensure stability and safeguard pan-Arab interests.

Interior Minister Ghaleb Zu’bi also met with the delegates and commended the relations between Jordan and the UAE, Petra reported.

He added that the geographical, religious, national and political ties connecting the two countries constitute a major basis for achieving their common interests, referring to Jordan’s policy of moderation that always calls for overcoming conflicts.

The minister said the Kingdom’s strategy seeks to achieve the well-being of the Jordanian citizen, adding that its security policy had embraced the democratic approach through the Constitution, which allows all people to engage in decision-making. 

He also outlined political reforms and legislations the Kingdom has carried out.

For his part, Qattan said that the Jordanian-Emirati relations are based on mutual understanding and continuous coordination on all cases of mutual interest at the local and regional levels.

AMMAN –– Prime Minister Hani Mulki took part as guest of honour and keynote speaker at the Dubai Knowledge Summit 2017 on Tuesday at the invitation of the UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

In his speech at the summit, which was titled the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), Mulki stressed the deep-rooted relations between Jordan and the UAE and their governments’ efforts in providing for their citizens, while keeping up to date with all technological advancements to serve the current and future generations.

The prime minister stressed that the development of science and technology would establish a new approach in the relationship between people and their nations in order to promote peace, prosperity and democracy. 

Mulki also shed light on the use of science for preventing war and conflict caused by the race for natural resources, noting that with the advancement of science, there is less pressure on natural resources, which paves the path for technological alternatives that ensure peace and security in the lives of people.

Mulki pointed out that the 4IR will make way for many inventions including flying cars, driverless vehicles and a world free of cancerous tumours, among others.

He said that Jordan acknowledges the concerns about the consequences of this revolution, specifically in terms of information security, and the risk of increased unemployment, and the government’s adaptability towards high-tech requirements of modernity.

However, the prime minister ensured that the industrial revolution will bring about great opportunities for countries worldwide, especially in the Middle East. 

ZAATARI — Children and adults from Zaatari refugee camp on Tuesday participated in various celebrations on the occasion of the World Toilet Day, marked annually on November 19.

Organised by the Oxfam teams within the camp, the activities offered residents the chance to learn more about the best hygiene practices, in an interactive and playful setting.

Starting the morning session with some 70 young boys from the 8th district, Omar Salem, Oxfam community mobiliser (CM), asked: “Do you know why we are gathered here today?”

Cheering, the crowd of children aged between seven and 14 rushed to answer, eager to share the knowledge they have been working on for months. 

“We want to celebrate our beautiful toilets,” said eight-year-old Mohammad, followed by Omar, six, who stated: “we celebrate the clean toilets.”

In a lively atmosphere, the children displayed the washing techniques they learned in the Child Club, a bi-weekly programme run by Oxfam to teach them about hygiene, health, water conservation, among others.

Mahmood, 14, proudly demonstrated the eight-move hand washing technique he memorised in front of his peers. “I learned how to wash my hands, and to clean the toilets after I use them, so they are not left dirty for others,” he told The Jordan Times at the event.

“This is a different way to communicate to the children about the issue,” said Aisha Shtiwi, Oxfam media officer, noting that “it is easier to convey such messages through games and interactive shows.”

A racing competition was later organised in the football field used for the event, during which two teams competed to see how quickly the kids could unclog some display toilets filled with rocks and papers.

“We brought the traditional Arabic toilets that they use on a daily basis, so they can know how to better use them, and avoid harmful practices such as dropping paper or plastic in them,” said Ahmed Khawaldeh, team leader of the Zaatari CM team. 

Puppet shows displaying good and bad practices related to the use of lavatories were also set up in various centres across the camp, engaging both children and their parents in the activity.

“We are also conducting awareness sessions for adults, where we not only inform them about sanitation, sewage systems and maintenance techniques, but also where we listen to their complaints and concerns regarding the hygiene situation in the camp,” Salem told The Jordan Times.

A series of sessions was conducted for groups of girls in the afternoon, Salem noted.

Held as a continuation of the World Water Day, the World Toilet Day seeks to raise awareness on the importance of wastewater treatment and best hygiene practices, according to the UN website, which added that “for billions of people around the world, sanitation systems are either non-existent or ineffective and, consequently, progress in health and child survival is seriously undermined.”

As part of the Sustainable Development Goal 6, which aims to reach everyone with sanitation, halve the proportion of untreated wastewater and increase recycling and safe reuse, the UN stressed the importance of the World Toilet Day in inspiring action to tackle the global sanitation crisis, the website stated.

AMMAN — The Italian embassy is offering Jordanians a taste of their traditional cookery at the 2nd edition of the World Week of Italian Cuisine, launched on Monday by Italian Ambassador Giovanni Brauzzi, with the aim of promoting Italian culinary traditions as a “distinctive trait of the Italian identity and culture”.

The celebrations will run through November 25, under the umbrella of quality, sustainability, culture, food security, the right to food, education, identity, territory and biodiversity, according to a press release by the Italian embassy. 

The event will also serve as an opportunity to promote the Mediterranean diet, aiming to internationalise the training programmes offered in this sector and to attract foreign talents in order to reinforce customer retention for high-quality Italian products. 

“The pleasure of sitting at a table is a shared tradition, not only in the Italian way of life, but also all over the Mediterranean. For Italians, quality and nutrition are important and we would like to share these values with our partners here in Jordan,” Brauzzi said at the launching of the event. 

An Italian cooking workshop with Syrian women was held on Tuesday at the UN Women Oasis at Zaatari Refugee Camp, where 100 lunchboxes were prepared and handed to Syrian children as part of the World Week of the Italian Cuisine, according to the statement by the organisers. 

The activity was organised by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation in collaboration with the World Foods Programme, UN Women, UNHCR and the Instituto Polispecialistico “San Paolo” Sorrento. 

A cooking show with famous Italian chef Filippo de Maio will be hosted by the Spago restaurant on Wednesday, and a second Italian cooking workshop with Syrian women will be held on Thursday in Azraq Refugee Camp. 

The Jordanian Italian Forum for Cooperation (JIFCO) will also be hosting the Italian Pizza Weekend, where the best pizza makers across the Kingdom will showcase the “real Italian pizza” to their customers. 

Canto, Casereccio, La Gemelle, Little Italy, Luna Rossa, Mar Yousef, Tre Pazzi and Pizzaiolo are the pizzerias selected by JIFCO, which will join the Italian Pizza Weekend. 

Representative of JIFCO Ariana Barilaro thanked all restaurants taking part in the event, stressing that “the Italian cuisine represents a big part of the cultural relation between Italy and Jordan, and, by cooking our traditional food, you are bringing our culture and our heritage to your customers.”