Private sector criticises gov't, says public holiday 'a mistake'

AMMAN — Private sector stakeholders on Thursday said the government’s decision to make Thursday a public holiday was a mistake.

Tareq Tabbaa, a board member of the Amman Chamber of Commerce, said the decision was 100 per cent “in the wrong” and negatively affected the productivity of the sector, noting that Thursday was a regular working day for foreign embassies in Amman.

“I will talk to other members at the chamber about suing the government for damages,” Tabbaa told The Jordan Times in a phone interview.

He noted that the holiday harmed merchants who had appointments to deliver goods, which would affect their credibility with their customers.

Amman Chamber of Industry President Ziad Homsi agreed with Tabbaa in that it was a bad decision.

Stressing the importance of people’s safety at the same time, he noted that “the weather was fine until noon on Thursday.”

On Wednesday morning, the government had announced that working hours at public departments would end at noon on Thursday as a precaution based on weather forecasts, but Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour later issued a communiqué declaring the day a public holiday instead.

The Central Bank of Jordan also announced that banks would observe a holiday on Thursday.

“The government should not have hastened in taking the decision and should have authorised administrative governors to decide on it, according to the weather conditions in their areas,” Homsi said.

Jordan Housing Developers Association President Kamal Awamleh said he supports observing the holiday for schools, but not for public departments and banks.

“Such a holiday will cost the national economy JD100 million in losses,” Awamleh said, expressing his support for a decision that would exempt employees who live in remote areas from going to work.

“It was better for the government and banks if they worked at 50 or 60 per cent of their production capacity rather than completely suspending their services,” he added.

Public department managers should have been authorised to make the call, Awamleh said, noting that the decision harmed people’s interests.

Noting that he did not blame the prime minister for the decision, Awamleh said those who provided Ensour with “erroneous information” are to blame.

He suggested that the premier appoint special advisers for such cases, in addition to providing the Jordan Meteorological Department with advanced equipment to help it issue more accurate weather forecasts.