Lower House endorses bill to compensate families of deceased JAF personnel

AMMAN — The Lower House on Sunday endorsed the 2018 bill of the fund of martyrs of the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF) and security agencies.

The draft law outlines benefits and assistance to families of fallen officers, and the fund is a predecessor of the fund of the JAF, the fund of martyrs of the Public Security Department and the fund of martyrs of the Civil Defence Department.

MPs approved allocating JD5 million from the General Budget to finance the fund and 1 per cent of the salaries of ministers, senators and MPs, in addition to any money allocated by public shareholding companies, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Under the bill, an obligatory subscription from salaries of servicemen and civil employees at JAF and security agncies ranging between JD0.15 and JD0.7 shall be deducted in a progressive manner depending on the rank of the officer or employee, according to Petra. 

The draft law also stipulates that the fund shall pay out an immediate amount of JD20,000 to the family of a fallen officer, in addition to offering the family assistance on national and religious occasions and on any occasion the fund committee decides.

Deputies added the phrase “civil employee” to the definition of someone who dies or goes missing due to a military operation, training, fighting against terrorism, dies after sustaining injuries, in rescue operations, in fire fighting or while training. 

A decision by a special joint committee shall be made to give the fallen officer or civil employee the status of martyr.

Also on Sunday, the Lower Chamber endorsed the 2018 municipal courts formation draft law, which allows neighbouring municipalities to form a joint municipal court under a special by-law.

The court judges shall be appointed by the Judicial Council, while its employees will be recruited from the Civil Service Bureau’s lists as stipulated in the municipalities’ employees by-law, Petra added.

The House is scheduled on Tuesday to begin deliberations over the 2018 civil retirement draft law, the last bill on the agenda of the extraordinary session.