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AMMAN — The lack of any local nutrition centres in a Balqa town planted an idea in the mind of a young Jordanian woman to fill the need she saw in her community.

In 2018, Eman Abu Siam started a centre in the town Deir Alla in northeast Balqa. 

She was among young entrepreneurs from around Jordan who met with His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday. During the meeting, His Majesty reaffirmed his keenness to support young Jordanians’ innovative projects, heard from the entrepreneurs and voiced pride in their achievements. 

Eman’s story started in 2016, when, freshly graduated, she trained and worked in a hospital in Salt, then moved to a private nutrition centre.

“When I left my job at the centre, it was because I felt that I’d had enough training and experience to open my own centre. I thought long and hard about where to do it, and I couldn’t help but make the risky choice of starting the first centre in my own town,” she told The Jordan Times in a recent phone interview.

“It felt right to start helping my own community first,” she added.

Eman’s only problem at the time was that she needed capital to open the centre, so she turned to the Development and Employment Fund for support.

Having received the funding she needed in the form of a loan, she then opened her first centre, which focuses on nutrition, obesity and healthy eating habits.

“At first, the people of my town would have to drive for an hour to reach either Amman or Irbid, which is why many of them ignored serious health issues. Time and transportation costs were a problem. Thankfully, they are not anymore,” said Eman.

The young entrepreneur does not just help her townspeople through the centre. She also organises specialised lectures, broadcasts awareness messages through the centre's Facebook page and employs local talents to work alongside her.

“I aspire to expand the project to include a fitness centre as well, as that would complement the nutrition centre’s work and employ even more people,” she concluded.

AMMAN — The Jordan Investment Commission (JIC) and stakeholders on Tuesday agreed to complete 50 production functions that had been referred to the production equivalence committee within the next two weeks. 

The agreement was reached during a meeting held by the JIC in the presence of representatives from the Ministry of Industry, Trade and supply, the Jordan Customs Department, the Income and Sales Tax Department and the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, according to a JIC statement. 

JIC Chairman Khaled Wazani highlighted the importance of unifying all committees into one under the name of the national production functions committee, which will be directly affiliated with the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply.  

The panel will automate all procedures in a way that enables investors to provide production functions electronically, in order to save time and effort.

Participants in the meeting also agreed to form an ad-hoc technical committee comprising of specialists from concerned institutions to amend all regulations and by-laws related to production functions within one week, before referring their amendments to the Prime Ministry for endorsement. 

Wazani said that the JIC and other public partners will work together to find efficient and effective solutions to all issues and challenges facing investors, in a way that guarantees providing high-quality services in a short time.  

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation upheld a July State Security Court (SSC) ruling sentencing a man to 10 years in prison after convicting him of attempting to smuggle illegal narcotics to a neighbouring country last year.

The court declared the defendant guilty of planting and attempting to smuggle marijuana to Saudi Arabia in October 2018 and handed him the maximum punishment.

The defendant was originally sentenced to 15 years in prison but the SSC decided to reduce the sentence to 10 years to “give the defendant a second chance in life”.

The SSC also ordered the defendant to pay JD10,000 in fines.

Court documents said that the defendant, who was arrested by Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) agents on October 22 after they received a tip that he was a drug dealer, had 40 marijuana plants in his house with the intent of smuggling them to Saudi Arabia.

“The defendant had succeeded in the past in smuggling marijuana plants to a neighbouring country by hiding them in bottles and stashing them in his trailer,” court papers said.

 The defendant confessed willingly and freely to “planting the illegal narcotics and smuggling them to a neighbouring country”, court documents said.

 The defendant did not contest the SSC’s ruling, while the prosecution office asked the higher court to uphold the sentence and fine imposed against him.

The higher court maintained that the SSC followed the right procedures in the issuance of the sentences against the defendant.

The Court of Cassation judges presiding were Mohammad Ibrahim, Naji Zu’bi, Yassin Abdullat, Saeed Mugheid and Nayef Samarat.

AMMAN — The Jordan Response Plan is only 20.98 per cent funded for 2019, according to data released by the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation on Sunday, which showed that the deficit is around $1.89 billion.

According to the plan, which helps manage the economic pressure resulting from sheltering Syrian refugees, around $2.4 billion was requested and only around $503 million has been funded, which leaves Jordan to cover any deficit resulting from this gap.

The lack of funding adds to governmental expenses, reduces the quality of services provided to citizens, increases consumption costs, raises imports and expands the budget deficit. It also affects Jordan’s water, power and agricultural resources due to consumption growth, economist Husam Ayesh told The Jordan Times on Sunday.

Of the money funded, 6.9 per cent of that allocated for budget support, 39.6 per cent of funds required for refugees and 22.1 per cent of the funds requested for resilience have been provided under the plan, according to the ministry.

“Jordan must not remain a captive of international funds, but should invest in Syrian refugees, turning them from consumers to producers to benefit from their expertise, knowledge and abilities,” Ayesh said.

He added that the Kingdom, even as it faces challenges, should “try integrating refugees” in the economy, especially as predictions show that they are not returning to Syria in the coming few years. 

The economist said that “the time has come” to establish mutual industrial areas near the Jordan–Syria borders that would employ people of both nationalities.

According to the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, the largest contributor to the plan is Germany, with a donation of more than $101 million, followed by the EU, with around $43 million, and the US, funding over $37 million.

In addition, the ministry’s report showed that $169.9 million was provided by a “source of funding unspecified by the UN”.

Statistics also showed that the health section of the plan received over $84 million in funding. Ayesh attributed this to the fact that health care prevents diseases from spreading in refugee camps, and to the “high costs” of medical care in Jordan.

Of the total funding received under the plan, over $103 million was allocated to education, $56 million to livelihoods and $49 million to local governance and municipal services, among others, according to the data.

Ayesh predicted that the gap between requested and granted funds would persist, since “the international community did not follow the plan from the beginning”. 

He added that Jordan would have to set some conditions to urge the international community to abide by the Jordan Response Plan in order to reduce its burden, support refugees and provide them with proper standards of living and social security.

AMMAN — Jordan imported 272,000 barrels of oil via 1,088 tankers from Iraq in October under a deal the two countries signed in February, Energy Minister Hala Zawati said on Monday. 

The total amount of oil imported from Iraq in October stood at 36,400 tonnes, which were transferred from the Baiji refinery to the Jordan Petroleum Refinery Company in Zarqa at an average of 10,000 barrels a day, Zawati noted in a ministry statement. 

These imports covered 7 per cent of the Kingdom’s needs, she said, highlighting the importance of this deal as part of the standing energy cooperation between Amman and Baghdad.

The Energy Ministry, in cooperation with relevant Iraqi authorities, in early September started implementing a memorandum of understanding on purchasing Iraqi oil, according to the statement.

Under the deal, signed by both countries on February 2, Jordan would receive 10,000 barrels of Iraqi crude oil per day at a discount of $16 from the price of Brent Crude (a global price benchmark for crude oil worldwide) per barrel, to cover the difference of transport costs and deviations in standards.

More than 200 individually and corporately owned trucks, 100 from each country, are involved in the transport process.

AMMAN — The Energy and Minerals Regulatory Commission (EMRC) on Monday said that it documented a total of 15,511 electricity theft cases during the first 10 months of 2019.

EMRC Chief Commissioner Farouq Hiyari said that 2,924 electricity theft lawsuits were filed during the January-October period, with courts issuing final rulings on 1,490 cases, according to an EMRC statement.

Commission personnel, in the first 10 months, detected 8,692 cases, while the remaining 6,819 cases were discovered by electricity distribution companies and the Public Security and Gendarmerie departments.

Of the 8,692 cases uncovered by the EMRC, 5,532 were registered under the jurisdiction  of the Jordan Electric Power Company (JEPCO), which distributes electricity to Amman, Zarqa, Balqa and Madaba.

A total of 2,288 thefts were registered within the Irbid District Electricity Company’s (IDECO) areas, which comprises the northern governorates of Irbid, Mafraq, Jerash and Ajloun, and 872 cases were reported within the Electricity Distribution Company’s (EDCO) areas, covering the southern governorates of Aqaba, Maan, Karak and Tafileh. 

EMRC personnel in October detected 1,032 cases, including 633 thefts in the area covered by JEPCO, 310 within IDECO areas, and 89 in areas covered by EDCO, according to the statement. 

Also in October, Hiyari added, electricity distribution companies detected 497 cases, while the security bodies uncovered 226 alleged thefts, noting that the EMRC carried out 238,781 inspections during the first 10 months of this year.

The law stipulates that anyone who tampers with the electrical system or is involved in electricity theft may face imprisonment from anywhere between six months to two years, a fine from JD2,000 to JD10,000, or both.

Under the law, all those who intentionally vandalise, destroy or hinder the work of power facilities, or cause them any damage, could face imprisonment for one to three years, a fine ranging from JD2,000 to JD100,000, or both. 

The penalty can also be increased if the violation poses any danger to public safety.

AMMAN —  The Jordanian and Saudi private sectors on Monday called for launching a new phase of economic cooperation between the two countries.

Representatives from the two private sectors, during a Jordanian-Saudi business forum organised by the Jordan Chamber of Commerce in cooperation with the Council of Saudi Chambers, said that “conditions are ripe” for taking vital steps towards the best interests of both countries.

 Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Tareq Hammouri, who attended the opening ceremony, said that in light of the deep Jordanian-Saudi political relations, there are “ample opportunities” to advance economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.

Hammouri added that Saudi Arabia is one of the Kingdom's top investors, with investments exceeding $10 billion in various sectors, including transport, infrastructure, energy, finance and construction of tourism facilities.

Saudi Arabia is Jordan's top trading partner, with a trade exchange of $4.1 billion in 2018, he said, pointing out that Saudi Arabia received 24 per cent of Jordanian exports to Arab countries, while Saudi products constituted 17 per cent of Amman's imports.

For his part, Jordan Free and Development Zones Group (JFDZG) Chairman Khalaf Hmeisat said that the value of Saudi investments in the JFDZG have reached JD38.5 million, noting that the figure is “among the highest of its kind”. 

Hmeisat added that the value of Saudi investments in public and private free zones, in accordance with registered capital, stands at JD3.5 million divided among 27 companies.  

Jordan Chamber of Commerce President Nael Kabariti expressed gratitude for Saudi Arabia's recent decision to ease the movement of Jordanian goods through the Gulf country, calling for addressing all obstacles that may hinder the movement of businesspeople between the two countries.

Head of the Council of Saudi Chambers Sami Bin Abdullah Al Obeidi expressed hope that the forum would be the “cornerstone for pushing the economic and trade relations in the right direction”.

Deputy ambassador of the Saudi embassy in Amman, Mohammed Ateeq, highlighted the sector of alternative and renewable energy, calling for focus to be put on this arena, given the “suitable sources and infrastructure” of the two countries. 

AMMAN — The family of Hiba Labadi and activists hailed the Foreign Ministry’s announcement on Monday that that Israel had pledged earlier in the day to hand over their daughter and another Jordanian before the end of the week.

Yesterday, Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said that Israel had agreed to hand over administrative detainees Labadi and Abdulrahman Meri to the Kingdom.

The agreement was the result of intensified discussions and procedures the ministry had conducted in coordination with all stakeholders since the detention of the two Jordanians, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.

Safadi added that the government has been following up on the case since the beginning, following His Majesty King Abdullah’s directives to take all necessary measures to release the two detainees.

Hiba’s father, Ahmad, told The Jordan Times that his family was “relieved” upon hearing the news about his daughter’s expected release.

“Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi called me personally to inform me about the good news, and that the government has been exerting its utmost efforts under the directives of King Abdullah from the first day, to secure the release of my daughter,” Ahmad Labadi said.

Ahmad Labadi added: “We are very happy and wish to congratulate everyone who was involved in the activism work and who stood next to us during this horrible ordeal.”

He added that his daughter ended her hunger strike upon hearing the news.

“The first thing we will do when she is back is to take her to hospital for a full medical checkup, because we know her health situation has deteriorated because she was on hunger strike,” Ahmad Labadi added.

Labadi has been on a hunger strike for over a month, and her health has suffered as a result. Meri suffers from cancer.

Jordanian activists have initiated a popular movement in recent days to demand the release of Labadi, Meri and all Jordanians who are detained in Israeli prisons.

The activists organised a social media campaign and on Sunday held a sit-in in front of the Prime Ministry that hundreds of Jordanians joined, urging the government to pressure Israel to release Labadi and Meri and all other detainees. 

Hania Barqawi, one of the members and organisers of the popular movement that led the social media campaign and the sit-in, said: “This is a proud day for Jordan and for everyone who raised her/his voice high to demand the release of Labadi and Meri.”

“Our happiness is not only because Hiba and Abdulrahman will be back soon, but we are proud that Jordan won its dignity and sovereignty,” Barqawi told The Jordan Times.

“It is the government’s duty to protect its citizens, and today the government succeeded in this.  Now they need to secure the release of the other Jordanians who are detained in Israeli prisons,” Barqawi added.

Activist and Lawyer Noor Imam also considered the news “a win for Jordanian diplomacy, that succeeded in retrieving two of its citizens, reflecting the true value of its citizens”.

“Labadi and Meri’s cases opened an important file related to the 23 Jordanian prisoners in Israeli prisons, and now we are hopeful that the government’s successful diplomacy will also result in more releases of Jordanian prisoners in the near future,” Imam told The Jordan Times.

Labadi, who has been in illegal detention in Israel under inhumane conditions, was transferred on Friday to a health centre under prison administration for treatment, in response to the ministry’s demands.

The Foreign Ministry has made continual efforts and intensive calls via diplomatic and political channels to urge Israel to release the detained Jordanians, whose health conditions have deteriorated since the beginning of their administrative detention.

In October, the ministry summoned the Israeli Chargé d’Affaires in the Kingdom to protest against the continued detention of Labadi and Meri, and handed him a letter demanding their immediate release.

“Jordan holds Israel fully accountable for the lives of the two citizens until their safe return home,” the ministry said, adding that it would continue taking “all measures available” to ensure Labadi’s and Meri’s safety and quick release. 

AMMAN — Prime Minister Omar Razzaz on Monday announced that all ministries, government departments and public institutions will observe a holiday marking Prophet Mohammad’s birthday on Saturday, November 9, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Prophet Mohammad was born on the 12th day of Rabi I, according to the Islamic lunar calendar. Razzaz stressed in an official statement released on Monday that all official institutions should contribute to highlighting the "noble" occasion.

AMMAN — The QS World University Rankings have listed the University of Jordan (UJ) among the top 10 universities in the Arab world and the first in Jordan, a UJ statement said.

UJ ranked in the top 7 per cent out of a total of 131 universities.  UJ has achieved “exceptionally high scores” in the following QS indicators: Academic reputation (98.3%), employer reputation (98.2%), staff with PhD (100%), international research network (96%) and web impact (96.9%). 

According to the statement, UJ has ranked first in the Kingdom since the first edition of the QS Arab world rankings.