Lower House insists on its versions of residency, domanial money bills

AMMAN — The Lower House on Tuesday insisted on its amendments to the residency and foreigner affairs and the domanial money collection laws.

During Tuesday’s session, MPs rejected the Senate’s changes to the two laws, insisting that foreigners have to pay JD50 annually to renew their residency permits under their amendments to the Residency and Foreigner Affairs Law.

As per their amendments to the 2015 draft domanial money collection law, MPs insisted on removing a provision imposing a 9 per cent fine annually on unpaid dues.

The Senate had rejected MPs’ changes to the residency law, insisting that the value of fees for residency ID renewal be determined by a special by-law. 

When deliberating the 2015 draft domanial money collection law, senators had decided to keep the provision imposing a 9 per cent fine annually on unpaid dues as in the government’s version of the law. 

But deputies passed the 2015 amendments to the Higher Education Accreditation Commission Law as referred from the Senate.

The House also referred the draft Treaty of Mutual Assistance on Criminal Matters signed between Jordan and the US to its Legal Committee for review. 

The Chamber has previously decided to postpone its deliberations of the draft treaty until it received a full copy of the agreement. Some lawmakers had accused the government of approving an agreement that violates the Kingdom’s sovereignty. 

Attending the session, Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour explained that the accord grants each country the right to reject extending assistance to the other if it harms its interests or sovereignty. 

Also on Tuesday, around 40 MPs signed a memorandum, calling for activating Article 4 of the Juveniles Law under which the concerned authorities should expunge all charges previously registered against juveniles once they turn 18.

Signatories of the memo cited the move’s contributions to facilitating the young people’s reintegration into their societies. 

In another memorandum signed by 30 lawmakers, signatories requested that the House presidency mediate in resolving the issue of Palestinian lawmaker Najat Abu Baker.

Abu Baker, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, has been summoned by the attorney general for interrogation in Ramallah over her support for a teacher strike in the West Bank, according to the Palestinian Information Centre.