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AMMAN — The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested two people for allegedly staging a fake robbery at Sweileh post office, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. One of the suspects confessed to staging the robbery at the post office with the support of two postal employees.

On October 3, CID received a tip-off that two persons had broken into the post office with their faces covered and stolen cash after threatening the employees with guns, Petra reported quoting a Public Security Department statement.

CID personnel identified the suspects and raided their home in Irbid, 80km north of Amman, resulting in their arrests and the confiscation of a weapon, narcotics and receipts with name of one of the postal employees reportedly found at the suspect's house. Investigations are still ongoing, according to Petra.    

AMMAN — Amman Mayor Yousef Shawarbeh on Wednesday announced that the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) is planning to float a tender for the development of the public transportation system in the city, aiming to introduce 100 new buses by next year.

The announcement came during a discussion with the Taqaddum (progress) platform, part of a monthly discussion series moderated by journalist Diala Dabas. 

Shawarbeh explained that the buses will be owned by the GAM, and operated by a private company in order to ensure the highest standards. 

The decision comes in contrast with the current model, in which buses are both owned and operated by private companies and regulated by the public sector. 

In this regard, the mayor stated that the new buses will have to commit to specific routes and frequencies, and several payment systems such as prepaid cards and mobile pay will be implemented. 

Hazem Zureiqat, founder of Taqqadam and the public transportation advocacy group MaanNasel, told The Jordan Times that “there are three essential elements that must be present to have high quality public transport service: a government subsidy, strict service standards reflected in the contract between the government and the operator, and a strong enforcement to ensure these standards are met”.

“By buying the buses, GAM is essentially addressing the first element,” he continued, concluding that “we still need the two remaining elements to be in place, and that is yet to be seen”.

Lubna Makhamreh, a student at the University of Jordan who experiences the daily transportation hustle, said that “this decision will only improve the public transportation system if these buses come with an actual schedule,” complaining that “many times, we [the students] have to miss our classes because of the lack of organisation in transportation”.

AMMAN — “How to deal with labels and questioning self-identity in a world of globalisation and migration?” asked the participants at a group discussion held at Jadal for Knowledge and Culture by the online media project Hybris Media on Wednesday.

Jordan, which has welcomed 19,299 resettlement departures in 2016, hosts one of the largest refugee populations in the world, half of which is under 18 years old, according to the latest UNHCR figures. 

Based on that finding, a collaborative community discussion was organised to find solutions to the issue of bias and labelling that comes with refugees’ integration in society. 

“As we see people from different cultural backgrounds constantly facing entrance into a new society, the question of integration has become crucial,” Cesilia Faustina, the founder of Hybris Media told The Jordan Times on the sidelines of the event. “We seek to find sustainable community solutions to help migrants and refugees adapt into new societies and to get rid of prejudices and labels towards them,” she continued.

Kotaiba Alabdullah, one of the speakers at the event, was only 18 years old when he first fled Syria. He arrived in Jordan five years ago and has since established his own organisation “Action for Change”, that aims to help Syrian refugees in Jordan and inside Syria access education and basic services.

“I came to Jordan when I was 25 without anyone; all my family stayed in Syria,” Alabdullah started, saying: “I had nothing and now look at me: I got married, I have a job, I founded my own organisation: I built myself.”

“I want to show the youth that it is possible to leave the war behind you and to rebuild your life somewhere else,” he continued, adding “I could have sat and mourned, only thinking about the war. But no, I started to work the first day I came here and I didn’t expect anyone to help me.”

The young man, who said he never faced any discrimination issue but heard many stories about it, said it should not matter if you are a refugee or not. “You can start from zero anywhere, as long as you have the right attitude for it,” he stated, stressing the need to understand the culture and laws of your country of immigration.

“Wherever you go, you need to keep your personality because this is what defines you, but you also need to abide by the rules of the society you enter,” he underscored.

According to UNHCR, some 65.6 million people around the world have been forced to flee their homes, nearly 22.5 million of whom are refugees.This has put many at a crossroads, whereby they are forced to adapt to different environment and situations, sometimes in stark contrast with their initial culture. 

Issues of discrimination against newcomers and immigrants, treated with racial and cultural bias, have multiplied, according to a Human Rights Watch report. 

“We are now facing several issues related to the integration of a wide variety of backgrounds into a new society, which is not limited to one sole culture anymore,” Faustina explained, citing the case of a Nigerian national who recalled his difficult time integrating into the society upon arrival.

Another participant, a Swedish national of Palestinian origin, described the labelling he is subjected to on a daily basis due to his “Arab appearance” that contradicts the preconceived idea of a “typical Nordic look”.

During the event, various speakers shared their experiences of being an immigrant who was forced to integrate into a whole different culture and to adjust to new cultural norms and attitudes. Good and bad case practices were shared in collaborative discussions followed by smaller groups engaging in brainstorming and solution drafting activities.

Pauline Latil, a French 22-year-old studying Arabic in Amman told The Jordan Times on the sidelines of the event: “Tonight’s discussion really shed light on the Jordanian side of refugee integration. It showed me how welcoming Jordanians can and have been for years. None of them cited nationality as a defining aspect; for them Jordanians, Palestinians or Iraqis: all were the same.”

“This is truly surprising for me, as I come from a country where identity is a central issue. In France, we host as little as 30,000 Syrian refugees, yet they are massively considered as a threat to the economy or even to the national identity,” she continued.

Faustina rejoiced over the “success” of the discussion, citing the attendance of over 75 people who shared some “really enriching input and solutions to counter labelling and raise awareness about identity bias”. 

All the outcomes of the discussions will be published on the Hybris Media website, in a bid to create further discussion and enhance feedback from the larger community, according to its founder. 

AMMAN — Legal assistance and psychosocial support is where protection of vulnerable women and girls begins, said the Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development group (ARDD), which recently launched the “Accessing my Rights” project.

“The project has three main pillars,” said Luisa Vieites Rodrigues, the project manager, citing “awareness of legal rights, psychosocial support and economic empowerment”.

As part of the project, the ARDD has been organising lectures and awareness campaigns in Amman, Irbid and Mafraq, to engage men and boys in the awareness and prevention of gender-based violence in the community.

The ARDD also set up offices to provide legal advice and assistance for those who need it.

“Women don’t know where to go if they have a problem; they don’t know where to get help,” Rodrigues said, adding that an important part of the work includes spreading the word about these offices and where to get guidance when needed.

As promoting women’s economic empowerment is seen as another essential method to support vulnerable women, additional offices provide vocational training and business advice for women.

In this regard, an event was recently organised for women to present their products and network with each other, with funding from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

According to ARDD, 65 women entrepreneurs participated in the event where they showcased a variety of products, including traditional food, homemade sweets, and handmade jewellery with the aim of  promoting and expanding their personal businesses.

Lamya Qassab, a Syrian mother of eight, said the event was “a great opportunity to meet people, and connect with other women.”

“I used to arrange flowers back in Syria… now I get orders for flower arrangements, jams and pickles… here I have been told I can connect with shops and retailers, ” Qassab told the Jordan Times on Wednesday.

A mother of two girls and the only breadwinner of the family, Fatima Fani  said she does not miss a chance to improve her ability to provide for her children.

“Because I am alone with two girls to support, I am always attending any lecture I can and trying to improve,” Fani said.

Thanks to her network of acquaintances and the reputation she built, Fani has been making a living through orders of homemade pastries, hot sauce and perfumes for three years now.

Clinics for psychosocial support are also part of the 10-month project, in addition to Internet-based awareness campaigns on sexual and gender-based violence, according to Rodrigues.

AMMAN — Deputising for His Majesty King Abdullah, Culture Minister Nabih Shuqum on Wednesday inaugurated the 17th Amman International Book Fair at the Amman International Motor Show, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The book fair, which runs through October 14, is organised by the Jordanian Publishers Union (JPU), the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) and the Culture Ministry.

During the opening ceremony, Egypt was announced as 2018's guest of honour of the fair, which coincides with announcing Amman as the Capital of Islamic Culture 2017.

Nearly 350 publishing houses from 17 countries are participating in the fair, which includes cultural programmes and activities, story-telling and seminars.

JPU Chairman Fathi Al Biss, who is also the director of the event, said that the fair is a "distinguished" cultural event that represents “what we want for the future of the Kingdom’s cultural sector”.

The fair's committee has “benefitted from last year's experience”, noting the presence of the UAE, this year's guest of honour, Biss said.

The UAE is represented by 12 cultural intuitions and commissions, according to Petra. 

AMMAN — Police Chief Maj. Gen. Ahmad Faqih on Wednesday referred several Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officers for questioning and detention in connection with alleged police brutality during an arrest in Irbid.

The decision came following complaints of reported police brutality and the emergence of a viral video clip purportedly showing several individuals beating up three men in a coffee shop and damaging the shop during an attempted arrest, a senior police official said.

"The video clip shows some of the CID individuals abusing their power while arresting the men and the police chief immediately ordered an investigation into the incident," the senior source told The Jordan Times.

Faqih ordered that the men be referred to the concerned prosecutor for questioning and that they remain in custody until the investigation is complete, the source added.

"All the individuals who were subjected to beating by the undercover police are listed in good condition," the source said.

The police official stressed that anyone found responsible will "receive the appropriate punishment as these actions do not represent the police and are not tolerated”.

A Public Security Department (PSD) statement said a CID undercover police force headed to the coffee shop in Irbid, 80km north of Amman, after receiving a complaint on Tuesday night from an individual saying "he was being blackmailed by another man to sign a JD85,000 bill of exchange over an old company ownership".

"The CID officers headed to the coffee shop and, while in the process of arresting the suspects, acts of violence were committed and the officers retaliated with force to arrest them," the PSD statement noted.

The statement added that the prosecutor is investigating the cases of blackmail and use of force separately.

AMMAN — Jordan has ranked as the second favourite market for Chinese companies operating in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, according to a study conducted by Arabia Monitor on 31 enterprises. 

The study, sent to The Jordan Times on Wednesday, was run with the support of the Economic and Commercial Section, the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Dubai, Chinese Business Council UAE and the Contact Office of Chinese Companies in Saudi Arabia. 

According to the survey, Egypt was by far the most favourite country for Chinese companies to expand to, while 25 percent of the respondents listed Jordan as a country of choice for further expansion to the MENA countries.

Florence Eid-Oakden, chief economist of the London-based independent research firm Arabia Monitor, told The Jordan Times that she was “particularly impressed by how well Jordan has featured as one of Chinese companies’ top investment destinations,” adding that “it is in line with their strong preferences for a friendly business environment, stability and government support”.

Economist Isam Qadamani told The Jordan Times that some of the key elements attracting Chinese enterprises to Jordan are “the agreements that the Kingdom has with the US and Europe since China is increasing trade with these regions and Jordan could help them gain further access to these markets”.

He also noted that “Jordan has big projects and investments in energy and information technologies, which is another attractive factor for these companies.”

Furthermore, the study showed that 67 per cent of the surveyed enterprises in Saudi Arabia were eager to increase investments in the next five years, compared to 53 per cent in the UAE.

However, only 17 per cent of the surveyed companies in Saudi Arabia thought that market conditions would improve in the near future, while the 58 per cent expected them to remain the same and 25 per cent expected conditions to worsen within the next year.

The expectations were more favourable for UAE-based companies, with 95 per cent of the surveyed firms stating that market conditions would either improve or remain the same.

In this regard, Eid-Oakden stated that “the willingness of an overwhelming number of Chinese companies to maintain or increase investment levels in the next five years demonstrates their confidence in the MENA region, in particular in the GCC”, concluding that “the Sino-MENA trade and investment relationship is seeing double-digit growth across the board, driven by MENA’s diversification efforts and China’s One Belt One Road initiative”.

AMMAN — Human Rights Watch (HRW) group on Wednesday commended the Jordanian Parliament for approving a series of important human rights reforms in 2017, including laws pertaining to women and children.

Positive changes included a new law that improves the rights of people with disabilities, as well as “the full repeal of a controversial Penal Code article that allowed people who commit sexual assault to avoid punishment if they marry their victims", including "new limits on pre-trial detention and other criminal justice reforms”, HRW said in a statement.

“After years of promising reforms, Jordan is finally delivering real change on important issues,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at HRW. 

 “Authorities should swiftly move to carry out these legislative changes that will improve the lives of Jordanians with disabilities, women, and criminal suspects,” she added.

In early August, the Jordanian Parliament abolished Article 308 of the Penal Code which pardoned sexual assault perpetrators from punishment if they married their victims, following a recommendation by a Royal committee.

The Parliament also made amendments to Article 98, which so-called honour crime perpetrators used as an excuse to escape high punishments.

Laila Naffa, the programme director of the Arab Women Organisation welcomed the HRW statement saying: “We are always supporting any report that commends laws that improve women’s rights in Jordan.”

“Such reports empower any step that is taken to advance women’s rights in Jordan and they open a window of hope to break any barriers that would stifle equality between men and women,” Naffa told The Jordan Times.

Secretary General of the Jordanian National Commission for Women Salma Nims agreed, saying that any report that reflects positive changes for women in Jordan is essential.

 It is an important step that will hopefully lead to “more changes for women also in terms of practices and not only in legal changes,” Nims added.

However, former minister Reem Abu Hassan said that “once again, HRW missed the core of the issues pertaining to violence against women with relation to Article 308 and 98.

“Repealing an article by itself does not guarantee the protection of the victim,” Abu Hassan insisted.

As for Article 308, “repealing the provision was necessary with regards to sexual assault but, in cases of consensual relationships, the repeal did not provide any guarantees to ensure the best interest of the victim,” Abu Hassan explained.

Critics who opposed abolishing the law, including Abu Hassan, had claimed that “repealing the article altogether would cause a risk to the lives of women between the ages of 15 and 18 and would result in children being born without fathers in the cases of pregnancy”.

The Jordanian women’s coalition that lobbied for abolishing Article 308 formed a legal committee comprising of legal and social experts shortly after the law was passed in August to address the loopholes that might occur as a result of abolishing the article.

The coalition is working on a position paper after conducting a comprehensive review of all the articles that need amendments, to guarantee full protection for sexually assaulted women, and will present it to the government for quick action.
Turning to Article 98, Abu Hassan added that there was a constitutional challenge to the way the article was drafted and passed, which “I would have expected HRW to detect”.

“HRW should get their facts straight since, for example, Lebanon did not repeal and abolish the article similar to 308, but amended it,” Abu Hassan stated.

Meanwhile, HRW also commended laws that were passed by the Parliament pertaining individuals with disabilities.

“For the first time, [a] law explicitly prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities, and largely complies with established disability rights, definitions and principles in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which Jordan ratified in 2008,” HRW said.

The law is "groundbreaking" in that it is one of the first national disability laws to protect the right to legal capacity — the right to make decisions about one’s own life, in line with the international disability rights treaty, HRW said. 

It also states that a person with a disability, or the legal guardian of a child with a disability, must freely consent to “every action, procedure, or legal measure to be taken regarding their rights or freedoms after being notified, in a way that he/she understands the content, results, and impacts thereof,” the statement added.

 “This provision on decision-making underscores the autonomy and inherent dignity of people with disabilities to be treated like anyone else,” according to HRW. 

HRW further welcomed the Parliament's passing of the new Criminal Procedures Law, which allows courts to conduct consecutive sessions over short periods of time and outside of working hours, in order to accelerate litigation.

It also stipulates penalties against litigants, who “intentionally” attempt to slow litigation, in addition to utilising modern technology in the judicial procedures, Petra reported.

The law allows the issuance of alternative sentences to imprisonment, such as working for society’s benefit or “social penalties”.

The National Centre for Human Rights (NCHR) 2016 annual report said that 28,437 people were held in pretrial detention in Jordan in 2015, almost double the 15,765 serving sentences, HRW stated.

 “The amendments do not appear, however, to apply to detention by Jordan’s General Intelligence Directorate (GID), the country’s most powerful intelligence agency,” HRW charged. 

It also does not prevent local governors from ordering arbitrary administrative detention of up to a year under the Crime Prevention Law of 1954, which circumvents Jordan’s Criminal Procedure Law, the HRW statement added. 

The NCHR 2016 annual report said that 19,860 people were administratively detained in 2015, some for longer than a year, according to HRW.

“The recommendations to improve Jordan’s justice sector could be a major step forward for human rights in Jordan, but authorities should move to annul other practices and legal provisions that allow for arbitrary detention,” Whitson concluded.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday stressed that any national financial reform efforts should be home-grown and should work to protect the middle class and the low-income segments of society.

During a meeting with Senate President Faisal Fayez and members of the Senate's permanent office and committees at Al Husseiniya Palace, His Majesty called for a comprehensive economic reform programme that stimulates growth and protects vulnerable segments of society, according to a Royal Court statement.

At the meeting, attended by HRH Crown Prince Hussein, the King said Jordanians should not continue to shoulder the burdens of exemptions and subsidies offered to non-Jordanians residing in the Kingdom, estimated to number 4 million people.

"Jordanian citizens have borne a lot of burdens; we cannot continue to make them shoulder the costs of hosting refugees,” the King said. “It is not easy for a country to pay the equivalent of a quarter of its state budget to support refugees." 

Noting that the Jordanian people have shown a lot of patience, he noted that there are challenges that still need to be surmounted in the coming stage so as to work for a better future.

His Majesty affirmed that there will be no leniency in dealing with tax evasion, adding that the government will present a new Tax Law that imposes strict penalties on tax evaders, instead of increasing burdens on ordinary citizens.

Tax evasion, he continued, is a main issue that should be tackled clearly and efficiently through introducing better tax collection mechanisms and holding evaders accountable in a firm manner.

The King voiced hope that next year would witness recovery from the repercussions of regional developments, including the impact of the Syrian refugee crisis and the closure of export markets. He said that can be achieved through introducing an economic stimulus plan as well as financial reform measures.

In this regard, he highlighted the need for the government to work on an action plan to implement the Economic Growth Plan, adding that cooperation between the government and Parliament was of great importance in introducing legislation related to such a scheme.

His Majesty said that he directed the government to rationalise expenditures and to work on increasing the efficiency of public agencies, as well as to ensure consistency in economic policies and legislation and to work for improving the investment climate.

The King commended the Senate’s efforts during the past extraordinary session, which witnessed the endorsement of legislation related to the judiciary previously recommended by the Royal Committee for Developing of Judiciary and Enhacing the Rule of Law.

He noted that the recent governorates and municipal councils’ elections were an opportunity to identify development priorities in the governorates.

In this regard, the King called for supporting agricultural programmes in the governorates and to bank in on opportunities that various parts of the Kingdom can offer to investors in order to generate more job opportunities. 

He also warned of the spread of rumours and fake news.  

The King also outlined developments related to the Middle East peace process, expressing hope that US President Donald Trump’s commitment to find a solution to the Palestinian problem would be translated into a tangible plan soon.

He also highlighted that Jordan and Iraq are working to restore trade ties to the normal levels between the two countries following the reopening of the Turaibil border crossing.

For his part, Senate President Faisal Fayez stressed Jordan’s ability to overcome challenges, voicing appreciation of His Majesty’s efforts at the domestic and international levels. He also paid tribute to Crown Prince Hussein’s efforts in supporting endeavours aiming to empower the youth and to express their concerns.

The Senate permanent office and committee members stressed the importance of making public information available for citizens to avoid the spread of rumours and false news.

AMMAN — The major objective behind amending the Income Tax Law is not to expand the taxpayer base but to primarily address tax evasion and improve tax compliance, a senior official said.

The official, familiar with the changes under way to the Income Tax Law, cited Prime Minister Hani Mulki's assertion Monday that there "should be a revision of the bill but any amendments will not affect the low-income and middle-income individuals and  households”.

During his meeting with Senate President Faisal Fayez and Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh, Mulki noted that amendments to the law aim at improving the efficiency of tax collection and stiffen penalties for tax evasion. 

Mulki stressed his government’s commitment to His Majesty King Abdullah’s directives to protect the middle- and low-income segments of Jordanians.

Describing tax evasion as a “crime against the country and every Jordanian”, the premier said penalty for tax evasion under the new amendments would reach prison sentence that is not replaced by a fine. 

The official, who requested anonymity, said that the new changes will seek to curb tax evasion by some “wealthy” segments, including “doctors, engineering offices [and] mechanics”.

“The new law will oblige such professionals to issue receipts to citizens over which the tax value would be calculated,” the official said.

Participating in a panel, organised earlier this year by the Jordan Transparency Society, Director of the Income and Sales Tax Department Bashar Saber said the total tax loss in 2016 has exceeded JD3 billion. 

The official attributed tax evasion to the lack of awareness on the link between paying taxes and the performance of the state budget, citing legislative impediments, such as the government’s inability to access bank accounts of tax payers, as another challenge.

In addition, he said the penalty for tax evasion, which is between four months and one year of imprisonment, is not enough, and yet, is not enforced.