'Agreement for smart card to be signed by year end'

AMMAN — The government is expected to sign an agreement for the development of a smart card with a German-Emirati company by the end of this year, the government spokesperson said on Sunday.

Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications Mohammad Momani said the Cabinet was briefed on the development of the “smart card” project that the ICT Ministry is currently working on in cooperation with a German-Emirati company.

According to Momani, the civil identification card might be used as a smart card, where several applications will be uploaded so it can be used for medical insurance and as a driving licence, among other uses.

“We expect the agreement to develop the card to be implemented by the end of this year,” he said at a wide-ranging press conference at the Prime Ministry.

The spokesperson also announced a Cabinet decision to reduce the sales tax on hotel services at the Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority from 16 per cent to 7 per cent. 

The decision was taken based on a recommendation by the government’s Economic and Development Committee and seeks to encourage tourists to stay in the region's hotels, he noted.

Momani said the government has decided not to look into the issue of military service for two years.

He said the possibility of reviving conscription for Jordanian men aged 18 years and above was discussed thoroughly and all studies and evaluations recommended not taking major decisions at the moment.

The minister’s remarks were made in response to a questions related to a Public Security Department (PSD)  announcement on Saturday calling on Jordanian men born between 1974 and 1996 to check with the conscription department branches in their governorates before travelling abroad.

The PSD said they have to get their military service documents stamped to show that their conscription has been postponed and present them at airports or border crossings to save time and effort.

Presenting the postponement of military services document is in accordance with the country’s laws, but it has not been enforced recently, he added.

Turning to recent incidents in Maan, Momani said the government is currently in contact with the town's residents and leaders to ease the situation in the southern city.

A 36-year-old man was shot dead when Gendarmerie forces raided a house in Maan last Monday while looking for a wanted person.

A woman and three Gendarmerie officers were injured in the shoot-out.

This led to clashes between residents of the city and the police for several days.

Meanwhile, Momani said the government has not changed its policy on Syrian refugees, and the borders are still open to them.

He, however, called on the international community to share the burden with the Kingdom, noting that Syrians, and even guest workers, benefit from the services subsidised by the government, and this is one of the reasons pushing authorities to direct support to Jordanians as individuals and not through blanket subsidies.