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AMMAN — Chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff Lt. Gen. Mahmoud Freihat on Wednesday met with Brazilian Ambassador to Jordan Francisco Carlos Soares Luz, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

During the meeting, Freihat and Luz discussed means to boost bilateral cooperation, especially in the military field. Also on Wednesday, Freihat met with President of Al Hussein Technical University (HTU) Labib Khadra and discussed cooperation between the army and the university.

AMMAN — The Central Traffic Department (CTD) said that the number of school buses that passed the technical test was 673 out of the 1199 that were tested until Wednesday, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. The test came as part of a CTD campaign to check on the safety of school buses at the beginning of the 2017-2018 academic year. 

The campaign also aims to monitor the commitment of school buses’ drivers to traffic regulations. CTD personnel have issued 526 traffic tickets since the beginning of this academic year, which started on September 5.

AMMAN — The World Bank, in cooperation with the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) , on Wednesday launched the Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) assessment programme, in the presence of Amman Mayor Yousef Shawarbeh, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

Shawarbeh said that the GAM budget, which amounts to JD496 million, is spent on an area of 800 square kilometres and provides 4.200,000 citizens with the needed infrastructure and services.

For his part, the World Bank Director of the Governance Global Practices, Deborah Witzl, said that GAM should work to improve expenditures control, attract investments and cooperation with the private sector. 

AMMAN — HRH Princess Wijdan, president of the Royal Society of Fine Arts, and Mayor of Amman Yousef Shawarbeh, signed a partnership and cooperation agreement to promote cultural diversity and to spread and sponsor artistic knowledge in Jordan in general and Amman in particular, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The agreement aims to promote the cooperation between the two sides to spread and introduce citizens to the Jordanian, Arab and Islamic arts and the artistic heritage of the city of Amman through seminars, conferences, festivals and workshops.

AMMAN — Jordan and the Eurasian Economic Union on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding to boost and diversify trade between Jordan and the Euro-Asian Economic Community, which includes Belarus, Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

The memo was signed by Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Yarub Qudah, Minister of Integration and Small Projects of the Eurasian Union Federation and member of the Economic Commission of the Federation Tatyana Valovaya, in the presence of several officials from both sides. 

AMMAN — Jordan’s Ambassador to Mexico Ibrahim Obeidat said that the embassy contacted members of the Jordanian community to check on them, following the severe earthquake on Tuesday night, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Obeidat confirmed that there are no injuries among the Jordanian community and said the follow-up is still ongoing. Emergency numbers have been published since Tuesday night through all media outlets to receive any requests of assistance in coordination with the operations unit at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates.

AMMAN — Irbid Governorate Council on Wednesday agreed on the 2018 governorate budget, worth JD23 million, during a session chaired by the council president, Omar Al Maqableh, and attended by the executive committee.

Irbid’s Governor Radwan Al Otoum and the executive department directors answered the committee members’ questions related to their departments and confirmed that the budget decisions were made after “extensive studies and strategic planning”.

AMMAN — A delegation headed by Palestinian Mine Action Centre (PMAC) President Osama Abu Hanana on Wednesday visited the Hashemite Commission for Disabled Soldiers to learn about its experience in the field of care and rehabilitation of military personnel with disabilities, including those injured in mine accidents, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

The head of the commission’s central region branch, Yaser Abu Elyan, briefed the visiting delegation on the various tasks carried out by the commission.

During their tour of the agency, the delegation commended the services provided for military personnel and their relatives.

AMMAN — Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi on Tuesday attended the meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Contact Group on Rohingya held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Safadi stressed that what is happening in Myanmar is a crime against humanity, an act of genocide and ethnic cleansing that contradicts all human values and violates all international laws.

He called for adopting practical steps including political and legal measures to stop the ongoing disaster in Myanmar, stressing that a comprehensive Arab-Islamic initiative must be adopted.

He urged action by the UN Security Council to to compel the government of Myanmar to shoulder its responsibilities and stop this disaster through legal platforms to ensure that those responsible are held accountable.

Safadi stressed that Jordan's diplomacy, with direct follow-up and direct guidance from His Majesty King Abdullah, will continue to work with its brothers and friends to stop these crimes and protect Rohingya from the violations committed by the government of Myanmar.

He added that Jordan is doing all it can in cooperation with the OIC to stop these crimes, and that the Kingdom is continuing its contacts with the international community to end the plight.

AMMAN — The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is scheduled to conduct the second review of the Jordanian economy in November, Ezzedine Kanakrieh, secretary general of the Ministry of Finance, said Wednesday.

Currently, there is an IMF mission on a visit to Jordan but this is not for the economic review under the $700-million Extended Fund Facility agreement signed with the fund, he added.

Jordan is committed to the fiscal reforms in this regard and will take all measures to ensure that the poor are not affected with any measures, said the official.

Jordan needs to generate JD520 million in additional Treasury revenues in 2018 as part of the reforms stipulated under the programme.

"We are currently studying options. There are no final decisions and measures yet," said the official, who echoed remarks by Prime Minister Hani Mulki at a meeting with industrialists yesterday. 

When asked about possible amendments to Income and Sales Tax Law and any possible slashing of exemptions to individuals and families under the income tax system, the official said: "The government is committed to His Majesty King Abdullah's vision not to affect the low and the limited-income segments".

"No decisions have been made yet in this regard and we are still looking into options, but, in all cases, we will ensure that the poor will be protected against any impact," he added.

The programme was launched in July 2016 after Jordan signed a letter of intent with the IMF and is expected to last for 36 months.

The government had then announced a set of immediate fiscal measures to raise revenues and cut spending in line with the IMF deal, starting January 2017. 

Under the new deal, the government and the IMF agreed on six conditions that aim at reducing public debt to safe levels and stimulating the economy.