Amendments to Companies Law ‘shocking’, says JPA chief

AMMAN — The Lower House's decision to approve amendments to the Companies Law without referring the amendments to the concerned committee was “shocking”, the Jordan Press Association (JPA) President Rakan Saaideh said on Sunday.

Speaking to Al Mamlaka TV, Saaideh said that the decision did now allow the JPA or other institutions to explain the repercussions of the amendments. There should have been a meeting with the JPA and other concerned institutions to discuss the bill, he said.

He stressed that the amended law will stop an important cash flow that the government and companies cannot afford. He added that the amended law will exacerbate the current crisis faced by newspapers.

The JPA president said that there are issues with certain court indictments being announced electronically rather than through print newspapers.

"I really hope that His Majesty King Abdullah does not approve the law," Saaideh said, stressing the need to find a legal way to allow Parliament to reconsider the dangers these amendments pose to print media.

Should a Royal Decree be issued, the JPA would seek to amend the law through the government, with the government’s cooperation, he said. 

The JPA president said that there are several alternatives, including the establishment of a national fund to support the press to help develop the media’s social media tools. He also proposed the option of stopping amendments that would deprive the newspapers of cash flows to support print media’s sustainability.