Lower House begins deliberations over public-private partnership bill

AMMAN — The Lower House on Sunday started deliberations over the draft public-private partnership law, endorsing an article that denies the private sector the right to be part of a special council to ensure the bill's implementation.

The council, with the exclusion of private sector representatives, will be headed by the prime minister and include the ministers of finance, trade and planning, in addition to a minister to be named by the premier.

Under the bill, the council should also include the Central Bank of Jordan governor and the director of the public-private partnership unit.

Addressing deputies at Sunday's session, Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour said the draft law is “very important, as it is part of the economic reform scheme in the Kingdom”. 

“The government wants this law,” he added.

But former Lower House Speaker Abdel Karim Dughmi (Mafraq, 1st District) called on his colleagues to reject the law. 

“This bill will become another door for privatising state-owned institutions and investments,” he charged. 

“You will regret passing this draft law,” Dughmi told his colleagues.

Also during the session, MP Samir Owais (Irbid, 1st District) criticised the House Investment Committee for allowing a World Bank representative to attend its meetings and provide  feedback on the bill, a matter he described as “unusual and shameful”.

However, the head of the committee, MP Kheirallah Abu Saalik (Amman, 4th District), said “it is not shameful at all.” 

He explained that the committee held several meetings with experts over the draft law and the representative in question happened to be in Amman at the time.

She attended the meeting in her personal capacity and not as a representative of the World Bank, Abu Saalik said.

Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh then put an end to the discussion, saying: “There is no shame in consulting experts by any Lower House committee, even if they come from outside the country.”