Lower House refers 2025 draft amendment to Competition Law for further review

• Labour minister says 43,333 beneficiaries of national employment programme, 32,339 job opportunities available
• Jordan's per capita water supply to drop without National Water Carrier Project - minister

AMMAN — The Lower House convened a monitoring session on Wednesday, presided over by Speaker Ahmed Safadi and attended by the government team, to address parliamentary inquiries and review the government's responses.

During the session, the House referred the 2025 draft amendment to the Competition Law to the Parliamentary Investment Committee for further discussion. 

The proposed amendments aim to strengthen market competition and improve enforcement mechanisms in line with international best practices, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

Key changes include restructuring the Competition Directorate at the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Supply into an independent Competition Protection Department, which will report directly to the minister and be led by a director-general.

Labour Minister Khalid Bakar responded to a question from MP Khalid Bani Atiyah regarding the National Employment Programme. 

The minister said that 43,333 individuals have benefited from the initiative so far, with 32,339 job opportunities currently available. The discussion focused on maximising the programme’s benefits for Jordanian citizens and private sector companies.

Minister of Water and Irrigation Raed Abul Saud responded to a question from MP Nour Abu Ghosh regarding the National Water Carrier Project, saying that completing the project would raise the per capita water share to 90 cubic metres annually. 

Abul Saud also warned that Jordan’s per capita water share, currently at 61 cubic metres per year, could drop to 30 cubic metres if the National Water Carrier Project is not implemented.

He noted that with the National Water Carrier and the Water Loss Reduction Programme in place, water wastage could be cut to just 2 per cent of total consumption, provided necessary measures were enforced, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

Abul Saud underscored the urgency of addressing water losses, as they directly impact citizens’ access to water. He stressed the ministry’s commitment to enhancing water sustainability and ensuring a secure drinking water supply for all Jordanians.

Highlighting Jordan’s status as one of the world’s most water-scarce countries, he noted the Kingdom’s heavy reliance on groundwater due to limited surface water resources.