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AMMAN — The government is keen on stopping the misuse of government vehicles during and after official working hours and on holidays, Prime Minister Omar Razzaz said on Thursday.

Heading a meeting of the ministerial committee and the technical committee to control the movement of government vehicles, Razzaz said that current measures send a “strong message” to citizens that the government is “serious” in this regard. 

Such procedures not only have a positive impact on the administrative level, but also play a vital role in preserving public money, the premier stressed, as reported by the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

The prime minister also highlighted the importance of ensuring the accurate application of the e-tracking system for government vehicles, the first phase of which included 5,000 vehicles, and the second phase, currently being implemented, includes 8,500, bringing the total to 13,500 vehicles representing the entire government fleet. 

For his part, Minister of State for Prime Ministry Affairs Sami Daoud said that in 2019, the government “has not bought any vehicles”.

Following field visits nationwide by the technical committee, Daoud said that a decision has been made to withdraw 430 vehicles and scrap 907 others, prior to selling them. 

The minister added that the Prime Ministry has handed over 41 vehicles to the General Supplies Department and other departments that can make use of them.

Daoud said that the committee is currently considering a decision to invest the money from selling these vehicles in public auction to buy electric cars and substitute all gasoline vehicles with electric cars so as to cut down fuel and maintenance expenses. 

AMMAN — The Jordan Strategy Forum (JSF) on Wednesday held a dialogue session titled “Enhancing the Competitiveness of the Tourism Sector in Jordan” to discuss Jordan’s global position in the tourism sector and the role of tourism as an economic tool. 

The session, attended by Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Majd Shweikeh, JSF representatives, stakeholders and the private sector aimed at pinpointing legislations that govern tourism in Jordan, defining the “boundaries” of the tourism industry and reviewing future plans in the light of accelerated development, JSF CEO Ibrahim Saif told The Jordan Times on Wednesday.

He noted that Jordan has a variety of tourism types, such as historical, cultural, religious and medical tourism and a growing adventure tourism industry.

The Kingdom’s tourism industry “has the potential to develop”, given Jordan’s clear strategy to improve its sectors, but focus must be on identifying and distinguishing strategies to build proper tourism infrastructure and complementary facilities to balance the number of tourists with the absorptive capacity of the sector, Saif added.

Global indicators show that more attention should be paid to the growing middle class and senior tourists, Saif said, highlighting recent expansion of adventure tourism in Jordan, which targets younger age groups. 

The private sector plays a “vital role” in tourism planning, and partnership between the private and public sectors will “contribute significantly” to the progress of the industry through improving the level of services and facilities to enhance Jordan’s competitiveness in tourism, according to the official.

“Based on what was said during the session, Jordan Strategy Forum will conduct a detailed study, which is considered the preliminary step,” the CEO said.

AMMAN — The government on Thursday revealed a series of precautionary procedures it implemented based on joint reports and recommendations by the neutral and ministerial committees examining the Dead Sea Tragedy in October 2018. 

The government had pledged to implement a series of procedures to address mistakes made during the tragedy and to avoid similar incidents in the future, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

On October 25, 2018, flash floods near the Dead Sea claimed the lives of 21 people, most of them schoolchildren on a field trip, along with families picnicking in the hot springs nearby.

A total of 46 students and teachers from a private school in Amman were swept away in the floods.

Thirty-five people were rescued, but it was unclear at the time how many were still missing, since a number of people were in the direct vicinity of the flood. 

The government procedures were categorised by institution, Petra reported.

The Education Ministry issued new regulations for organising field trips, stipulating a specific timeline during the school year — from March 21 to May 15 — during which school trips are allowed.

On the tourism level, the 2019 regulations for adventure tourism were endorsed, banning tourism agencies from organising adventure tourism trips for schools.

Civil defence departments in areas subject to flash floods, notably Aqaba and the Dead Sea, were provided with early warning systems.

Meteorological stations were updated and equipped with modern devices that guarantee more accurate information and weather forecasts, while the government implemented rehabilitation works for bridges and main roads in the Dead Sea area.

Ninety to 95 per cent of scheduled maintenance has been completed in the Dead Sea area so far, according to Petra.

Government procedures also urged municipalities and electric power companies to implement periodic maintenance before winter to ensure that infrastructure, such as tunnels, sewage networks and electric lines, are working properly, to avoid disruptions that might hinder daily life nationwide.  

Other procedures included ensuring coordination among stakeholders in the field of crisis management and documenting water levels in low-lying areas that are more vulnerable to flash foods, in addition to training Health Ministry personnel to make accurate diagnoses and provide precise descriptions for injuries. 

AMMAN — Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Maj. Gen. Yousef Huneiti received Bahraini Ambassador to Jordan Ahmad Bin Yousef Al Ruwaie at his office on Thursday, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Huneiti and the envoy discussed means to enhance cooperation and coordination to serve the best interest of two nations. Also on Thursday, Huneiti received the British Ambassador to Jordan Edward Oakden.

The army chief and the British ambassador discussed ways to enhance bilateral cooperation.

AMMAN — Former US president George W. Bush on Thursday visited Jerash and was briefed on its archaeological sites.

Bush toured several archaeological sites with tour guides who told the former president about the visitor centre, new discoveries and archaeological sites in the ancient city, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

AMMAN — Maan Development Company (MDC) on Wednesday launched a solar-heating project for nine schools in Maan, Shoubak and the southern badia, at a total cost of JD264,000.

These projects are part of His Majesty King Abdullah’s initiative to provide heating systems for schools, MDC CEO Hussein Kreishan said, noting the implementation of these solar projects has been conducted in cooperation with a number of firms investing at the first solar complex in the Maan Development Zone.

He said that more schools will be covered during the next stage, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The director of Maan Education Directorate Ibrahim Shuqairat expressed gratitude for MDC's supportive efforts that “lead to advanced educational performance”, pointing out that Maan schools need additional support to improve their educational environments.

The project, which is being implemented under the Royal Scientific Society's supervision, includes installing heating and cooling systems by using photovoltaic panels on schools’ rooftops, as well as replacing incandescent light bulbs with energy-saving ones.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday said that the time has come to take clear decisions and measures that stimulate the economy, meet citizens’ needs and reduce unemployment.

Chairing part of a Cabinet meeting during a visit to the Prime Ministry, King Abdullah stressed that the package of government measures and decisions should be clear for citizens to understand and discuss, according to a Royal Court statement.

His Majesty said that having a clear plan to move forward steadily will attract more regional and international investments to Jordan, providing job opportunities for Jordanians, according to the statement.

 For his part, Prime Minister Omar Razzaz emphasised the government’s full commitment to implement and follow up on the King’s directives, especially on matters related to stimulating the economy and promoting investment.

Razzaz stressed that the Royal directives constitute a roadmap for government action, noting that the government has taken measures and made decisions it will start to announce on Sunday in implementation of His Majesty’s directives, especially those expressed to the Cabinet two months ago.

The prime minister added that the measures and decisions fall within four main areas: Increasing wages, stimulating the economy and investments, improving quality of services and administrative reform and public finance.

On increasing wages, Razzaz said that the government would review civil service allowances and other relevant legislation to ensure wage increases as of the beginning of next year using clear criteria that link promotions and incentives to performance.

Turning to the area of stimulating the economy and promoting investments, he said the government on Sunday will launch a package of incentives for the private sector to encourage the employment of young Jordanians to replace foreign labour.

The prime minister noted that the package will also sustain the incentives awarded to investors and settle any outstanding concerns, as well as provide legal protection in cases of insolvency and the confiscation of assets over financial liability.

The package will also target the real estate and housing market, facilitating access to adequate housing.

On the quality of public services, Razzaz underscored the government’s efforts in the education sector.

He noted that the government is working to make early education (kindergarten) compulsory starting within the upcoming academic year 2020/2021, while continuing to implement the National Strategy for Human Resources Development, which includes updating the educational process and enhancing classroom environment and school transportation.

In the transport sector, the prime minister stressed the government’s commitment to the completion of the project to revamp the desert highway in mid-2020 and the completion of the Bus Rapid Transit project, which will be operational by the end of 2021.

Moreover, he said that the government will continue to expand the base of those covered by healthcare insurance until it encompasses the entire population by 2023.

Regarding administrative reform and public finance, Razzaz underscored the government’s commitment to easing bureaucratic procedures and increasing efficiency by merging independent government commissions and institutions and restructuring government units to include them under ministries, based on an extensive study.

The government will also work to raise the efficiency of revenue collection and control its expenditure in next year’s budget, in line with the current economic climate, he added.

The premier said the government will announce a timeline for implementing these measures, with clear key performance indicators to enable all to follow up on and monitor execution.

Royal Hashemite Court Chief Yousef Issawi, Adviser to His Majesty for Communication and Coordination Bisher Khasawneh, and Adviser to His Majesty for Policies and Media Kemal Al Nasser attended the Cabinet meeting.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah has sent a cable to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, expressing congratulations on his parliamentary election win.

In the cable, King Abdullah stressed Jordan’s deep-rooted ties with Canada and expressed keenness to enhance cooperation, wishing Prime Minister Trudeau success, and the people of Canada further prosperity and progress, according to a Royal Court statement. 

AMMAN — The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment on Wednesday said it has granted environmental approvals to a total of 1,760 out of 2,123 projects submitted since the beginning of 2019.

The ministry also said that the projects accredited covered a variety of sectors, including industry, agriculture and services, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

Minister of Agriculture and Environment Ibrahim Shahahdeh said that a total of 25 environmental impact assessments (EIA) have been carried out on a number of projects with potential negative consequences for the environment, adding that the ministry has put in place a plan to mitigate their impact. 

The minister also said that investors can visit moenv.gov.jo to get information on the EIA system and the requirements for development projects.

AMMAN — Total export value reached JD3.195 billion during the January-August period, showing a 6-per cent increase, in comparison with the same period last year.

According to Department of Statistics (DoS) figures, imports dropped by 5.2 per cent to reach JD8.950 billion during the same period, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.