Cabinet approves draft regulation for Gov’t Communcation Ministry

AMMAN — The Cabinet on Wednesday, during a session chaired by Prime Minister Bisher Al Khasawneh, endorsed several investment incentives at Karak Industrial Estate to support investments in the facility and expand them to provide more jobs for Karak residents.

The decision also provides subsidies on electric power prices for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) at the estate, where the definition of the Energy and Minerals Regulatory Commission (EMRC) for SMEs will be adopted for this purpose. 

Under this decision, investors will have costs reduced by 75 per cent for the first two years of actual operation of new projects, 50 per cent for the two following years and 25 per cent for the following year. 

The decision allows for the launch of programme to be implemented by the Jordan Enterprise Development Corporation (JEDCO) to subsidise electricity bills for institutions within the estate through the Industry Support and Development Fund, where a memorandum of understanding between JEDCO and Jordan Industrial Estates Corporation (JIEC) is scheduled to be signed to implement the programme.

The Cabinet decision also includes the estate in the production branches programme, where the Labour Ministry will cooperate with the Technical and Vocational Skills Development Corporation to support the programme and subsidise the salaries of local workers by 50 per cent. The Labour Ministry will also pay workers JD25 for social security subscriptions and JD25 in transport stipends.

The decision also included subsidising the cost of handling containers at the export container terminal at the Aqaba port for three years. A memo is planned to be signed between JIEC, the Aqaba Ports Corporation (APC) and JEDCO to cover 50 per cent of handling costs.

Also during Wednesday's session, the Council of Ministers approved mandating reasons for the administrative organisation of the Ministry of Government Communications for 2022.

The Cabinet also decided to accept the resignation of president of the Audit Bureau Asem Haddad, and tasked the Secretary-General of the bureau to administer its affairs until assigning a new president.

The Council of Ministers decided not to renew the contract of the Director General of the Social Security Corporation Hazem Rahahleh.