Cabinet reduces prices of shawerma, hummus

AMMAN — The Cabinet on Sunday decided to reduce the prices of food at popular restaurants by between 7 and 15 per cent, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The prices of meat or shawerma (grilled meat) will be reduced by 15 per cent and hummus and foul (fava beans) by 7 per cent, the Cabinet decided.

The Industry and Trade Law allows the government to amend the prices of basic food items upon the trade minister’s recommendations.

Also on Sunday, the Council of Ministers outlined the outcomes of Prime Minister Hani Mulki’s recent visit to Tafileh, where he  met with local community officials and representatives.

The premier directed ministers to execute the decisions that the government pledged to citizens in the southern governorate.

Also at the Cabinet meeting, the government decided to exempt beneficiaries of the collective self-employment programme, implemented by the Development and Employment Fund, from fees to register their joint-liability companies at the Company Controller Department.

The exemption aims to support youths and encourage them to benefit from the programme, under which the government has made JD25 million available in loans to start businesses. 

The Cabinet also watched a presentation by the Land Transport Commission on the urban transport project, which aims to improve public transport.

Ministers were also briefed on the situation of the tourism sector and the challenges it faces due to the unstable political situation in the region, as well as measures which could attract more tourists. 

There are 558 hotels in the Kingdom with 27,664 rooms, and they employ around 20,000 workers, 82.5 per cent of whom are Jordanian. 

Tourism employees represent 10 per cent of Jordan’s workforce, according to the briefing. 

The premier called for pragmatic and innovative solution for the tourism and transport sectors that would address challenges and contribute to their growth.