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AMMAN — The Agricultural Credit Corporation (ACC) has financed around 7,000 farmers with a total amount of JD40 million since the beginning of the year, ACC Director General Mohammad Hiyari said on Tuesday. 

Hiyari added that the corporation financed agricultural manufacturing and marketing projects with JD10 million, livestock development projects with JD17.5 million and land reclamation schemes with JD3.6 million, while over JD3 million has been allocated to ventures for developing water resources, modern technologies and renewable energy.

The director general said that the northern region received finances of JD15 million, the central region JD14 million and the southern region JD11 million, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

He also noted that the ACC targets projects that contribute to increasing the amount of agricultural produce, boosting competitiveness of farmers and focusing on schemes that can generate jobs for both genders, adding that the majority of these projects are small- and medium-sized enterprises.

Most of these ventures are focused on solar energy and aquaculture, mainly utilising technology and aiming to reduce energy and water consumption, so farmers can reduce costs by at least 30 per cent, which consequently increases their profits, Hiyari said.

The director general also voiced the corporation’s keenness to address poverty and unemployment, which are considered big challenges for the economy. ACC developed a project to address these issues and allocated JD7.5 million for this year, JD6.5 million of which has been directed to 1,500 jobseekers.  

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday attended part of a workshop held at Al Husseiniya Palace, with the participation of a number of economic, parliamentary, academic and media figures.

The King stressed the need for serious, collective efforts to reach implementable solutions to current economic conditions and forge ahead with programmes to stimulate economic growth and improve the standard of living in a timely manner, according to a Royal Court statement.

The workshop, held within the framework of several other workshops to come, is intended to step up coordination with economic, financial, academic, and business sectors to devise a joint actionable programme that aims to stimulate the national economy and improve Jordanians’ living conditions, the statement said.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State Rajai Muasher and the chairpersons of the finance committees in the Senate and the House of Representatives attended the workshop.

TOKYO — HRH Crown Prince Hussein met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday in Tokyo, to discuss means of bolstering the strategic partnership between the two countries and expanding cooperation in various fields.

The Crown Prince conveyed His Majesty King Abdullah’s greetings to Prime Minister Abe and wishes for further progress and prosperity to the people of Japan, according to a Royal Court statement.

His Royal Highness affirmed his pride in the deep-rooted Jordanian-Japanese ties and the distinguished relations between the Imperial and Royal families.

The Crown Prince expressed appreciation for Japan’s continued support to development projects in Jordan, as well its efforts to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East, the statement said.

Prince Hussein is in Japan deputising for His Majesty at the enthronement ceremony of Emperor Naruhito, to be held on Tuesday.

Jordan’s Ambassador to Japan Lina Annab and a number of senior Japanese officials attended the meeting.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday received the former president of Kosovo, Atifete Jahjaga, at Al Husseiniya Palace.

Jahjaga is on a visit to the Kingdom to participate in a workshop held by the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs in Amman, according to a Royal Court statement.

The meeting was attended by HRH Prince Ghazi, His Majesty’s Chief Adviser for Religious and Cultural Affairs and personal envoy, and Adviser to His Majesty for Communication and Coordination Bisher Al Khasawneh. 

AMMAN — The Ministry of Health and the American Heart Association (AHA) on Monday signed a three-year joint cooperation agreement to train medical and nursing staff, and to support the medical professionals in emergency cardiovascular care at the Health Ministry, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Health Minister Saad Jaber said the agreement also aims to train healthcare personnel according to global standards adopted for resuscitation, Petra reported.

The ministry seeks to implement a training plan that includes ambulance and emergency departments, intensive care and central departments at ministry hospitals across the Kingdom in 2019 and 2020 to improve the quality of healthcare provided to citizens through joint cooperation with the Health Ministry’s centre for life support, which is affiliated with the AHA.

AMMAN — Talks on Monday were held between representatives of the Jordan Press Foundation (JPF) and Bridgewater State University (BSU) addressing technical, educational and academic cooperation between the two institutions. 

Jordan Press Foundation (JPF) Chairman of the Board Ayman Majali met with Academic Director of Global Programmes at BSU Jabbar Obaidi in the presence of Director of Al Rai Centre for Research Khaled Shaqran and head of the studies and research unit at the centre, Hadi Shobaki. 

The meeting comes as part of a series of meetings carried out in implementation of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the JPF, BSU and Al Rai’s Centre for Research, which has recently been renewed, to develop a joint training programme between Al Rai and the university. 

The MoU has resulted in the creation of a training programme that provides training opportunities to journalists from Al Rai and The Jordan Times, 15 of whom are set to participate in a series of workshops next year. 

Talks also went over means of developing the joint programme between Al Rai and BSU and incorporating a variety of training subjects, which are required to boost competitiveness within the labour market. 

Majali voiced pride in the cooperation with BSU, saying: “It stems from our responsibility to develop performance and enhance joint action with BSU, a pioneering university with an array of advanced expertise in a number of fields in including media”.

He added that cooperation with BSU is part of Al Rai’s efforts to develop media content in addressing national issues and social problems “professionally and in-depth”, while incorporating digital media to reach a broader audience.

For his part, Obaidi said: “Discussions between Al Rai and BSU embody the importance of cooperation between press institutions and universities.”

AMMAN — A total of 1,712 male and female participants attended a counselling programme designed to provide education on building a family for couples who are under the age of 18 and planning to marry, the Chief Islamic Justice Department (CIJD) said on Monday.

The counselling programme, which was launched in September, is mandatory for couples under the age of 18 who will receive a “marriage licence” upon completion indicating their “readiness” to get married.

The programme included one class per week tackling the legislative, legal, psychological, social, financial and healthcare aspects of building a family, and courses took place in Amman, Zarqa, Irbid and Rusaifa governorates, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

President of the Higher Sharia Court Kamal Smadi said that the “large turnout” indicated the “success” of the counselling programme, expressing the department's intention to expand the programme to target older couples across the Kingdom.

The participation of family members accompanying the young engaged females, who were usually married women, “enriched” the sessions, Smadi said.

Director of the Judicial Institute of Jordan Judge Mansour Tawalbeh said that the trainings organised by the CIJD aim at educating young engaged couples before they commit to marriage and helping them overcome family conflicts and disagreements.

The counselling programme covers several aspects related to marriage, including marriage-related rights and duties in line with civil law and Sharia (Islamic law), health aspects of spousal relations, personal communication, psychological aspects, economic aspects and managing household finances, Petra added.

In July 2018, the Chief Islamic Justice Department made counselling mandatory for couples under 18 planning to marry in the Kingdom. 

“The decision targets all people on the Jordanian land including refugees and residents of other nationalities as we believe this service should be offered to everyone,” Tawalbeh told The Jordan Times back then.

The department’s official statistics showed that 77,700 marriage contracts were issued in 2017, of which 10,434 involved marriages in which the wife was under the age of 18.

Meanwhile, the report showed that the divorce cases in 2017 amounted to 5,335, in which 413 cases involved wives under age of 18, marking “the lowest divorce percentage among other age groups”, Tawalbeh said.

AMMAN — Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg on Sunday highlighted the importance of ethical journalism and the critical press, and their role in combatting hate speech and curbing the spread of false news. 

The premier stressed the necessity for commitment of members of the press to the ethical standards and values of journalism to produce credible and high quality content, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

Solberg’s remarks came during an open discussion held with students and faculty at the Jordan Media Institute (JMI), in the presence of HRH Princess Rym Ali, founder of the JMI. 

During the discussion, Solberg said that Norway does not impose censorship due to its belief in the role of critical journalism in protecting and enhancing democracy. 

The PM mentioned a Norwegian government initiative to create laws on journalistic accountability, which will play a role in enhancing the quality of media content. 

Solberg pointed to the oppression and dangers facing journalists in areas of conflict, stressing the need to provide them with a suitable work environment and the necessary protection required to do their work freely and safely. 

Solberg affirmed Jordan’s and Norway’s keenness on enhancing bilateral cooperation and implementing signed agreements, noting that no new agreements have been signed during her current visit.

The premier lauded Jordan’s and Norway’s contributions in combatting extremism within the a counterterrorism alliance. 

“Norway has not announced its stance on the ‘deal of the century’, due to the absence of its contents,” Solberg said, underlining that her country supports a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and Israel’s withdrawal from occupied Palestinian territory. 

She added that Israel’s continued occupation of more Palestinian lands has hindered peace efforts, called for by the Oslo Accords, according to Petra. 

Solberg said that Norway is one of the largest supporters of educational programmes targetting Syrian refugees in Jordan, noting Oslo’s “dedication to securing the right of every Syrian child to go to school and continue their education”. 

Solberg on Monday left the Kingdom, marking the end of a two-day official visit, according to Petra.

AMMAN — In implementation of Royal directives, the Council of Ministers on Monday approved raising the pensions of military retirees and retired servicemen who were referred to retirement before June 1, 2010, at a total annual cost of JD53,301,540.  

The decision stipulates raises ranging between JD28 and JD38, where those of the rank of major general and higher will receive JD30, retired brigadier generals and colonels will receive JD35 and lieutenant colonels, majors and captains will receive JD38, according to a Prime Ministry statement.

Pensioners with the rank of first lieutenant will receive a raise of JD36, lieutenants JD38, first warrant officers JD30, warrant officers JD33, and first sergeants JD34, while a JD28 raise will be disbursed for those with the rank of sergeant and lower. 

The decision also stipulated increasing the pensions of heirs of military retirees or those who died on duty before June 1, 2016 by JD20 for each file, which will be distributed equally to the heirs.

JD20 will also be disbursed to the heirs of military retirees who were referred to pension before June 1, 2010 and those who died after October 1, 2019.

Prime Minister Omar Razzaz formed a committee to consider the raise of military retirees in all aspects before referring recommendations to the Cabinet for making the decision. 

AMMAN — Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Monday met with the families of Jordanian prisoners in Israel at the ministry’s headquarters. 

Safadi affirmed that the Foreign Ministry will continue to follow up on the affairs of Jordanians in Israeli prisons and will “spare no effort” to ensure the protection of their rights and fulfillment of their needs, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra. 

The foreign minister highlighted that the ministry will continue to work in accordance with a clear institutional mechanism by communicating with the families to meet their demands, adding that individual and group visits will be organised for them. 

Safadi added that through the Kingdom’s embassy in Tel Aviv, the ministry will continue to check on the prisoners, offer them support and use all available means to improve the conditions of their detainment. 

“The ministry’s doors will remain open to the families to listen to their demands and needs, and work to achieve what is possible and what is allowed by international treaties and laws,” Safadi said. 

The minister noted that the meeting “is an expression of Jordanian values that are founded on dialogue and understanding”, adding that under the vision and directives of His Majesty King Abdullah, the Foreign Ministry will work on improving the quality of services provided to Jordanians outside the Kingdom. 

Towards the end of the meeting, Safadi instructed the formation of a joint committee between the detainees’ families and the ministry, which will meet regularly to follow up on the former’s concerns and demands.