Social Development Ministry to review regulations — spokesperson

AMMAN — The Ministry of Social Development plans to review its regulations in a bid to streamline its services by setting specific time frames for responding to applications submitted by the public, a ministry official said on Thursday.

Fawaz Ratrout, the ministry’s spokesperson, said the ministry will soon revisit its regulations, setting a time frame for looking into requests from the public for licences, permits or other services.

The services that will be covered by the planned changes include family loans, licensing centres for the elderly and persons with disabilities, and nurseries, child adoption, foster care and registration of charities.

“We seek to improve our administration system, and without setting a time frame to look into submitted applications and provide answers, we will not be efficient,” Ratrout told The Jordan Times over the phone on Thursday.

Currently, there is only a time frame for responding to applications related to registering charities, he explained.

“The ministry has to respond to applicants within 60 days of submitting their request to register a charity,” Ratrout noted, adding that if the ministry does not respond within this period, it means the application is approved.

Earlier this week, the ministry restructured its internal auditing system and the bidding system to ensure that it is in line with Audit Bureau regulations.

In addition, the ministry is currently implementing a pilot foster care programme to gauge the impact of the inclusion of children within families, according to Ratrout.