Labour Ministry considering to include contractors in list of most affected sectors

AMMAN — The Labour Ministry is considering including the construction contracting sector on the list of most affected businesses, Labour  Minister Maen Qatamin said on Sunday.

Qatamin remarks were made during a meeting with a delegation from the Jordanian Construction Contractors Association (JCCA), headed by Ahmad Yacoub, president of the association, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The minister said that all challenges and issues associated with the constructing sector will be shared with the committee serving on identifying the most affected sectors, calling on the JCCA to provide studies that prove the disruption of the sector.

Yacoub, during the meeting, reviewed the main problems facing construction contractors locally and globally, stressing the need of including the construction sector, which involves some 150 other occupations, on the list of most affected sectors.

Delays in payments of contractors' dues, amid the absence of new tenders for 2021, would result in the weakening of the sector and its collapse, he said.

Regarding the demands, Yacoub called for speeding up the issuance of a circular on extending the deadlines for all contractors in the public and private sectors, due to the disruption resulted during the lockdowns that affected the sector.

Yacoub also delivered the minister a petition for tax exemptions in 2019 and 2020, demanding to speed up the government payments owed to contractors, as well as to launch economic packages and construction and infrastructure projects to support the sector, besides coordinating with banks to reduce interest rates and postpone installments and offer contractors.