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AMMAN — State Minister for Media Affairs Mohammad Momani on Tuesday stressed the importance of media spokespersons in delivering accurate information to the citizens, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Tuesday.

During his meeting with the spokespersons of ministries and government institutions, Momani pointed out that the official media messages, especially those related to Cabinet decisions, are documented and presented to the Council of Ministers every two weeks.

He explained that these messages should be clear, detailed and transparent. He stressed the need to continuously evaluate them to reduce them from spreading any rumours and have them serve the country in the best way. Momani called for more coordination between media spokespersons and the various media outlets.

AMMAN — Civil Defence Department (CDD) Director Maj. Gen. Mustafa Bazaiah on Tuesday met with his Sudanese counterpart Hashim Taha and an accompanying delegation, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

During the meeting, they discussed ways to improve cooperation between the two civil defence departments. Bazaiah stressed the CDD’s readiness to offer all kinds of support to the Sudanese Civil Defence personnel. The delegation was briefed on the latest techniques used in rescue missions, in a tour to the main operation room and communication systems.

AMMAN — “The HOPES project truly carries the meaning of hope itself for us. It gives students a chance to seize the academic opportunities that they deserve,” said Hanan Alchahadat, the student representative of the Higher and Further Education Opportunities and Perspectives for Syrians (HOPES) project on Monday.

Alchahadat was one of the 59 students who were awarded EU-funded scholarships to pursue higher education in Jordanian universities, at a ceremony held at the University of Petra in Amman on Monday.

For the 44 Syrian master’s students provided with financial aid, these degrees represent an indispensable preparation for their contribution to the future reconstruction of Syria, an EU statement said.

A Syrian national herself, Alchahadat was forced to flee her country in 2012, without having the chance to complete her administration and finance studies at Damascus University.

Since she arrived in Jordan, she juggled three jobs working as a cashier, a dental assistant and an accounting assistant just to financially sustain herself and her family. “I would sometimes work over 11 hours per day,” she recalled.

After a year, Alchahadat found out about the HOPES project and enrolled in a two-year bachelor programme, from which she graduated with a score of 91.9 per cent. 

“I am now finishing my master’s in marketing at Petra University, which I had access to thanks to the HOPES scholarship,” the student representative said, noting that she is now working on her thesis while continuing to help other students benefit from the opportunities offered by HOPES.

Speaking at the event, Ibrahim Laafia, head of cooperation of the EU Delegation to Jordan, said: “These scholarships represent the will and commitment not only of the EU but also of the member states and funding members towards what we are convinced is one of the most important investments: the future of young generations.”

“Education has been so far a priority for the EU in Jordan, and, since the start of the conflict in Syria, education and higher education have remained a key sector of the EU assistance in the country and in the region in particular,” he continued.

For his part, Mohammed Anani, Vice-President of the University of Petra, underlined the importance of the close partnership between the EU and Jordanian uuniversities, expressing his appreciation for the support extended to the students.

The ceremony was organised by the HOPES consortium composed of the German Academic Exchange Service, the British Council, Campus France and Nuffic and the EU Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis, the “Madad Fund”.

The Madad Fund, which finances the HOPES project and the scholarships at a value of 12 million Euros for the region, has already allocated 1,000 scholarships for Jordanians and Syrian refugees in the Kingdom, according to a EU statement.

The “Madad Fund” addresses socio-economic, educational, health and psycho-social needs of Syrian refugees, host communities and their administrations as well as internally displaced persons in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey, according to its website. 

AMMAN — An official military source in the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army on Monday said that the Border Guards foiled a infiltration attempt from Syria, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The source noted that the rules of engagement were applied, which led to the arrest of the suspect who was transferred to the relevant authorities. 

AMMAN — Minister of State for Investment Affairs Muhannad Shehadeh on Tuesday inaugurated the investment plan for Ajloun governorate, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Attended by representatives of the public and private sectors at the Youth Camp, Shehadeh said that the launch of the plan aims at identifying projects that fit the touristic, environmental and agricultural conservation in Ajloun, in order to distribute the development gains fairly and improve the living standards of the citizens.

He pointed out that preliminary feasibility studies were carried out for a number of industries at an estimated cost of JD1 million, including a production and distillation factory for aromatic and medicinal plant oils, marble manufacturing, a natural juice factory, among other investment projects. 

AMMAN — Director of International Student Affairs Fidaa Tameemi said that the number of international students studying in Jordan in the past year has reached 14.2 per cent, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Tameemi, accompanied by Director of Public Relations and Information at the Ministry of Higher Education Feisal Sheyyab, paid visits to embassies of China, India, North Korea and Ukraine to promote Jordanian universities. The reason behind their visit was due to the increase in number of students studying abroad.

According to the UNESCO, there are around 700,000 Chinese, 124,000 South Korean, 190,000 Indian and 60,000 Ukrainian students studying abroad. He stressed that the number of the Chinese students who are studying in the Jordanian’s universities has reached around 400 students.

AMMAN — State Security Court on Tuesday sentenced two defendants to three years in jail with hard labour, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The defendants were charged with promoting for Daesh and attempting to joint militant and terrorist groups.

According to the indictments, the defendants shared Daesh publications with relatives and friends and defended the ideology of the terror group.  

AMMAN — Jordanians are getting the chance to be acquainted with Leonardo da Vinci’s projects and inventions on Monday at “Leonardo’s Machines: Italian excellence over the centuries”, an exhibition inaugurated at the Jordan Museum under the patronage of HRH Princess Wijdan. 

The new exhibition, which is presided by HRH Princess Sumaya, comes as part of the World Science Forum, running from November 7 till 11 at the Dead Sea.

The show is organised by the Italian embassy in Jordan, in collaboration with Italy’s “Leonardo” global high-tech company. 

At the inauguration of the exhibition, Italian Ambassador Giovanni Brauzzi thanked the princesses for their collaboration, expressing his “wish to encourage youth to spread the word about Leonardo’s inventions and to engage with science and technology.”

The inauguration was also attended by HRH Princess Rajwa, who thanked the ambassador for “the privilege of having this exhibition as part of the World Science Forum”.

“Leonardo’s Machines” showcases several reproductions of the Maestro’s machines created by Florentine handcrafters, along with explanations of the way each invention worked in the past. 

Machines like the tank (carro armatto), the parachute (paracadute), the floodlight (reflettore) or the world-famous Wings of Leonardo are a few of the inventions that visitors will have the chance to examine. 

A total of 20 exhibits are displayed at the event, along with a series of panels and videos about his life and work. 

Leonardo’s technical drawings also cover the walls of the museum, providing visitors with a taste of the maestro’s work during the late 1470’s and his studies for the improvement of already existing machines. 

The exhibition will remain open to the public until December 7. 

AMMAN — Prime Minister Hani Mulki on Tuesday said that the government has been working on a comprehensive reform programme that encompassed economic, financial and administrative fields.

The premier said the government embarked on this programme since its formation in June 2016 with the aim of improving services offered to citizens, with a focus on health and education.

During a meeting with the Lower House’s Democratic bloc, that concluded several such meetings the premier has held with parliamentary blocs over the past few weeks, Mulki dwelt on the issue of subsidies and means to tackle the budget deficit.

He said it was paramount at the present to tackle the problem of the waste of subsidies, particularly of flour, noting that a good percentage of this subsidy goes to non-Jordanians living in the Kingdom, “which constitutes a waste of hard currencies”.

The government, Mulki affirmed, will not take any decision on lifting the subsidies without finding a fair formula to compensate the low- and medium-income segments of citizens.

“If the government does not arrive at such a mechanism to give support to those who deserve it, it will not take the decision to lift the subsidies”.

The premier said that the value of subsidies in 2017’s general budget reached JD800million to JD850 million.

As for the tax evasion, the prime minister noted that the tax law will be amended to include a minimum limit of taxes, establishing a unit for financial auditing and increasing penalties against tax evaders.

He said that the independent public institutions do not cost the treasury any fund except for water and electricity, noting that the Independent Institutions Law will be modified.

The premier stressed that the government has activated partnership with the private sector in implementing development and service projects by leasing to reduce public spending.

For his part, Labour Minister Ali Ghezawi outlined the government’s policy to switch from employing citizens to helping them establish their own income-generating enterprises through empowering them by vocational and technical training.

He noted several measures that were implemented by the ministry to organise the labour market.

Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Yarub Qudah said that only three types of bread are currently supported and the government is scheduled to set a ceiling for prices of all types of bread.

Regarding the business environment, the minister noted that Jordan has moved forward by 17 points in the Doing Business Report during the past 11 months.    

AMMAN — The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (ERBD) forecasts Jordan’s economy to grow by 2.3 per cent in 2017 and by 2.5 per cent for 2018, according to its latest Regional Economic Prospects report.

For the EBRD’s southern and eastern Mediterranean (SEMED) region, the report expects a growth of 3.8 per cent in 2017 and of 4 per cent the year after, supported by the reform implementation and continued recovery in the tourism sector. 

This is in addition to export rebounds in Egypt and Jordan.

Economic performance remains weak amid continued regional turmoil, the report, a copy of which was e-mailed to The Jordan Times, showed.

It also indicated that conflicts in Syria and Iraq have disrupted trade routes, and strained public infrastructure, service provision and public finances.

Tourism arrivals picked up by 11 per cent in the first-half of 2017 after falling for six consecutive years until 2016 and unemployment increased to 17.9 per cent in the second quarter of 2017, according to the report.

It showed a modest pick-up in 2017/2018 is expected and reflects a slow recovery in exports and a rebalancing towards new markets and some reform progress.

“Downside risks to the forecast include deterioration in the regional security situation, lower-than-expected aid flows, and the effect of fiscal consolidation on consumption,” the report added.