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AMMAN — The Civil Defence Department (CDD) and the Attarat Power Company (APCO) on Thursday signed an agreement to build a CDD station at the Attarat power plant in Umm Al Ghadran to reduce response time in the event of an emergency at the site.

The agreement stipulates that APCO will provide a building and administrative equipment to sustain the work of the station and the CDD will equip the station with operational necessities, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Under the agreement, the CDD will provide training to APCO employees on evacuation, first aid, firefighting and initial response procedures that should be taken until CDD personnel reach the site of an accident. 

AMMAN — The government on Thursday launched a survey to gauge citizens’ aspirations in priority sectors to improve the quality of procedures to be taken.

The survey includes questions about stimulating investment, boosting the private sector, creating jobs and improving the quality of services that affect the daily lives of the public, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The government called on citizens take part in the survey at: http://bit.ly/GOJSurvey. 

AMMAN — Picturesque landscapes and the warmth of Jordanian hospitality enthralled Indian actor Jayaram, who on Wednesday wrapped up a three-day visit to the Kingdom.

Absorbed by Amman’s limestone façade and beguiled by the spectacular wilderness of Wadi Rum and the imposing ancient rose-red city of Petra, Jayaram said his first visit to the Kingdom was “long overdue”.

A veteran actor popular among family audiences in India, Jayaram has starred in  more than 250 films, mostly in the Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu languages.

After beginning as a mimicry artist, he had his film debut in 1988, taking on the lead role in the Malayalam movie “Aparan” (meaning the imposter). 

In conversation with The Jordan Times, the actor said that film shoots, events and leisurely travel have taken him to many parts of the world, and Jordan just recently joined his bucket list of places to visit.

“I was greeted by friendly waves along my morning jogs in Amman, and was touched by the kind gesture. People say Jordan lacks natural resources, but its real resource is its warm and friendly people,” he said.

Accompanied by his wife, actress Parvathy, Jayaram said that although he has gone on safari trips in the region, the Wadi Rum desert safari was a “spellbinding experience”.

“Three days are not enough to explore the gems of Jordan”, the actor said, mentioning plans to visit Jordan in the near future with his son Kalidas, who is also an actor, and daughter Malavika.

Also during the course of his stay, south Asian garment workers in the northern town of Ramtha held a traditional welcome ceremony for the actor.

“I was really overwhelmed by this display of affection. Of course, the terrain of Jordan and the warm hearts I met here will stay with me as I go. It was truly a memorable journey.”

AMMAN — With the aim of encouraging expatriates and foreign businesspeople to invest in Jordan, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on Thursday between local entities.

The MoU, which was signed between the Businesspeople Association of Jordanian Expatriates (BAJE) and the Jordan Free and Development Zones Group (JFDZG), aims at boosting investment opportunities in the free trade zone areas.

It also aims to ease the exchange of information, data and studies between the two entities in line with the marketing plan and to conduct joint workshops reaching more Jordanian expatriates, according to a statement.

"We are convinced that there is a large capital with Jordanian expatriates abroad that could be invested here,” JFDZG Chairman Khalaf Humiesat has told The Jordan Times. 

"The BAJE plays a vital role in raising the Jordanian expatriates’ knowledge about the investment opportunities and privileges the JFDZG has adopted to ease their investment opportunities in our developmental and free zone areas," the chairman stated.

For “the benefit of the Kingdom”, Humiesat said, the priority "is to encourage the Jordanian men and women living abroad to return and invest their money here and contribute in maintaining a strong economy that will eventually benefit our country".   

Meanwhile, BAJE President Fadi Majali said the idea behind the MoU is to reach out to Jordanian expatriates and other investors to inform them about the investment opportunities and privileges they would enjoy in the Kingdom, especially at the JFDZG facilities that are spread throughout country.

The chairman added that Jordanian expatriates are a main contributor to the national economy, as the value of their remittances positively reflects on the GDP, raises deposits at banks, increases lending volume for the private sector, boosts foreign currency reserves and reduces unemployment.

"Our main role is to ensure the proper marketing of the available entities and opportunities for investors abroad in order to encourage them to come and invest in Jordan," Majali told The Jordan Times.

Majali pointed out that Jordan’s economy is "going through tough times, and our role and duty is to look for alternatives and find good partners and investors to help us boost the economy".

Jordanian expatriates’ investment volume is around  $7.2 billion, according to Majali, adding that the majority of these investments are concentrated in the real estate, securities and shares, tourism and hotels, industrial, service and ICT sectors.

AMMAN — The Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) does its “utmost” to build a climate-resilient infrastructure, Deputy City Manager for Districts and Environmental Affairs at GAM Hosam Nejdawi said.

Climate change has clearly impacted rainfall patterns, causing heavy down pours in different areas, which has become difficult to overlook, Nejdawi told The Jordan Times on Wednesday.

To prevent the occurrence of deadly flashfloods, similar to those that struck the Kingdom last year, GAM has developed a strategy that relies on cooperation between citizens and public institutions to create a sturdy infrastructure, Nejdawi said. 

GAM is "actively" taking measures to address environmental change, reverse the impact of climate change on Amman’s economy through preparedness plans for winter and maintain drainage systems, the official said.

"Our goal is to increase the efficiency of drainage systems by increasing the number of box culvert designs in our infrastructure," he said.

"We have developed a plan to raise awareness of climate change, the importance of pump maintenance, especially in low-lying flood-prone areas and the need to keep members of the public away from areas of low altitude during heavy rainfall using billboards, social media and GAM's website," Nejdawi added. 

GAM has provided JD2 million in compensation to traders affected by last year’s floods, which damaged their shops in downtown Amman last February, while Amman Chamber of Commerce (ACC) contributed JD1 million, according to ACC statements.

Mohammed Abdul-rahim, sport clothing shop owner on Quraysh Street in downtown Amman, told The Jordan Times over the phone on Wednesday that last March heavy rains caused extensive damage, especially to Quraysh Street traders, noting that nearly 1 metre of rain water filled with sediment and wastewater entered his shop, causing massive loss.

"I have been compensated 50 per cent only, which is not enough compared to the devastating loss," Abdul-rahim said.

"Last month I was given JD3,500, but the truth is that these compensations are not permanent solutions for the problem, which is a reason for us to worry," he added.

“The sewage system in our shop was capable of absorbing a lot of water without runoff problems, therefore we dealt with the flood immediately and prevented waters from engulfing our place,” a cheese shop owner on Quraysh Street told the Jordan Times on Wednesday.

AMMAN — The Government of Jordan and the European Investment Bank (EIB) have signed a grant agreement of 16.3 million euros to support the implementation of the Deir Alla and Al Karamah project, according to an EU statement on Thursday. 

The project, which received 65 million euros of EIB financing last February, will improve water supply systems in Deir Alla and Al Karamah districts in the Jordan Valley and involves the construction of a centralised sewage collection and treatment network in the Deir Alla district, the statement said. 

The grant agreement was signed on Thursday during a ceremony hosted by Ali Subah, general secretary of the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, the EU Delegation in Amman, Flavia Palanza, EIB Director of Operations for Eastern and Southern Neighbourhood and the EIB loan Director Jolian Bogonzo.

The grant, which comes under the Economic Resilience Initiative Fund (ERIF) and complements the EIB’s financing of the project, will contribute to improving water supply and sanitation services for more than 85,000 inhabitants in the Jordan Valley area, according to the statement.

“I am pleased to sign this grant agreement with the Jordanian government. We strongly support the government’s plans to improve access to drinking water and sanitation services. The Deir Alla and Al Karamah project will improve people’s access to these services. We are providing this grant funding to support the implementation of the project thanks to our European donors who contributed to the Economic Resilience Initiative Fund,” Palanza was quoted in the statement as saying. 

Subah expressed his gratitude to the EIB for their continuous support to the Jordanian water sector, which suffers from vast challenges especially after hosting 1.3 million Syrian refugees.

 For her part, the EU Ambassador to Jordan, Maria Hadjitheodosiou, said: “The EU is proud to support the water sector in Jordan in a holistic manner, through our bilateral cooperation, regional projects and direct technical advice in the framework of the Mediterranean Hot Spots Investment Programme (MeHSIP), from which the Deir Alla project has benefitted.” 

“The sustainable use of scarce water resources is of utmost importance to a country like Jordan and to the entire region; the Deir Alla project will play an important role in promoting the renewal of water supply networks,” she added. 

The EIB‘s support to the project aims at securing reliable and improved access to drinking water, which is beneficial for health and agriculture, as well as economic development and social stability in Jordan.

The project comes under the EIB’s Economic Resilience Initiative (ERI) designed to strengthen EU Southern Neighbouring countries’ ability to withstand shocks.  The Deir Alla and Al Karamah project will have substantial benefits in terms of enhanced social infrastructure, regional development and positive environmental impact, read the statement.

The preparation and implementation of the Deir Alla and Al Karamah project also reflects the strong cooperation between the EIB, donors and partners. The project has been financed by the External Lending Mandate (ELM) guarantee provided by the EU to the EIB. The feasibility study was prepared with the support of the EU-funded MeHSIP, while the Climate Action in the Middle East and North Africa (CAMENA) initiative provided the grant for the preparation of the feasibility study, concluded the statement.

AMMAN — Many clothing and footwear shops have gone bankrupt in September and October, and in response, the government should urgently reduce sales tax from 16 per cent to 8 per cent, President of the Textile and Readymade Clothes Syndicate Muneer Deyeh said on Thursday.

“Sales tax is indirect; imposed on the poor and the rich at the same rate, and 74 per cent of the government’s revenues come from this tax while only 24 per cent comes from income tax,” Deyeh told The Jordan Times over the phone.

The association on Wednesday issued a statement urging the government to reduce the 16-per cent sales tax, one of the highest rates worldwide, according to Deyeh.  

“During the discussion of the Income Tax Law with the current government, there was an acknowledgment that there is a problem with the structure of the tax system, and the burdens of those taxes,” the association president said, adding that the government also confirmed that indirect taxes are “currently unjust” and must be amended. 

“Thus, they promised to reconsider the Sales Tax Law in order to amend the rates and reduce burdens, following in the footsteps of other countries around the world, by fixing the tax system in the Kingdom. However, a year has passed since endorsing the Income Tax Law, and the government has not provided any solutions,” Deyeh explained. 

“Now, as a result, there is great regression in the markets, impacting most sectors in the country,” he added. 

The association believes that reducing sales tax will help revitalise the market and improve people’s purchase abilities, serving as an important tool to boost cash flow, which Deyeh said benefits all parties, including the Treasury. 

“Reducing the sales tax does not mean the government’s revenues will decrease; on the contrary, it means that the cash flow in the market will increase, improving the economy, and thus boosting the Gross Domestic Product,” he said.

The current sales tax rate makes it difficult for a large segment of society to purchase even basic necessities, which is why action needs to be taken immediately, Deyeh said. 

“Lowering the sales tax rate to 8 per cent would make other taxes and fees bearable, and traders and people would feel the reduction at once, as the tax is paid upon importation and upon sale,” Deyeh said. 

“We need to take important steps to bring the most vital sectors in the Kingdom back on their feet before more merchants and traders from different sectors go bankrupt as well,” he concluded.   

AMMAN — The European Investment Bank (EIB), which is the lending arm of the EU, and the Cities and Villages Development Bank (CVDB) have signed a loan agreement of 45 million euros to finance energy-efficiency projects targeting municipal, building and lighting infrastructure in Jordan.

The financing agreement was signed on Thursday during a ceremony hosted by the EU delegation in Amman by Flavia Palanza, Director for Eastern and Southern Neighbourhood at the European Investment Bank and CVDB Director General Osama Al Azzam in the presence of EU Ambassador to Jordan Maria Hadjitheodosiou, according to an EU statement.

This first EIB loan through the CVDB, which will allocate an additional JD45 million from its own resources to the project, will have a substantial impact on the sustainable development of municipalities in Jordan, especially those most affected by the refugee crisis and those far from economic centres. 

It will “concretely” reduce the energy costs for municipalities by boosting the implementation of renewable energy and energy-efficiency projects such as rooftop solar PV, street lighting refurbishments, energy-efficient buildings and other similar types of investments, the statement said. 

For the public lighting component alone, the project is expected to reduce energy consumption by half through the replacement of nearly 450,000 older lamps with new LED technologies, which represents significant energy savings — estimated at 126 GWh.  Reducing energy consumption and cost will allow municipalities to reallocate those energy savings to other priority needs for the benefit of the local population.

This initiative supports the objectives of the current EU-Jordan Partnership Priorities and Compact, especially achieving “a sustainable use and management of natural resources”, as it will contribute to the objective of developing energy efficiency and renewable energy investments to attain reduction of energy use by 2020 by 20 per cent and increase contribution of renewables in electricity generation to 15 per cent, the statement said.

Commenting on the agreement, Osama Al Azzam said in the statement: “Cities and Villages Development Bank seeks to reduce the financial burdens on municipalities, as the electricity bill is considered one of the major expenses for municipalities. The agreement between the CVDB and the EIB will provide financing for projects in energy efficiency and renewable energy in the municipalities at low interest rates in order to reduce the electricity consumption bill. Savings can be used in other development projects that will improve the livelihood of local communities and mitigate the environmental impacts resulting from the use of traditional energy sources.”

“Investment in energy transition is crucial for Jordan’s future. This is why the European Investment Bank is very pleased to support, for the first time, Jordanian municipalities and help them boost the implementation of sustainable projects which will have a real impact on the local population’s daily life.” said EIB Director Flavia Palanza. 

“The EU bank is strongly committed to supporting Jordan’s growth and resilience. With this financing agreement, we further strengthen our engagement to finance projects, which will benefit some of the most vulnerable groups in Jordan and have a positive environmental impact in the country,” she added.

For her part, EU Ambassador to Jordan Maria Hadjitheodosiou said: “The EU attaches great importance to green energy and is helping the Government of Jordan achieve its green energy targets by 2020, with over 160 million euros provided in bilateral and regional support. Bringing sustainable energy to the municipality level is crucial to this and we welcome this additional European support.” 

“The EIB loan comes on top of EU support to the development of Jordan’s green energy sector over the past decade, through which we are helping mainstream green energy within electricity generation and transmission, energy efficiency in buildings and water supply and pumping,” she was quoted in the statement as saying.

The EU Guarantee covers the EIB’s loan under the External Lending Mandate (ELM) 2014-2020. The project is fully in line with the mandate, specifically the ELM Climate Strategy 2014-2020, which calls for the development of energy efficiency and renewable energy investments, the statement said. 

It supports Jordan in reaching its renewable energy and energy efficiency targets for 2025.  The project is also part of the Economic Resilience Initiative (ERI), as it contributes to the objective of “improving the long-term economic resilience of refugees”.

The EIB has been supporting Jordan’s economic development over the years by investing in key sectors of the economy such as industry, water, education and energy in addition to private sector operations. As part of its contribution to the EU’s support to Jordan, the EIB pledged 870 million euros of loans and grants for 2019-2020 to support key infrastructures in Jordan and the development of the private sector, according to the statement.

The EIB has reinforced its presence in the country with the opening of an office in Amman at the end of 2018 to coordinate and liaise with the Jordanian government as well as business associations and investors in the country.

AMMAN — The Foreign Ministry on Wednesday stressed that Jordan is not going to renew the lease of its lands in Baqoura and Ghumar to Israelis.

Commenting on reports published in Israeli media claiming that Jordan has agreed to extend the “lease” of its border lands with Israel, the ministry spokesperson Sufian Qudah said that the Kingdom’s decision on October 12, 2018 to terminate the annexes on the Baqoura and Ghumar areas is "final and irreversible".

Citing a provision in the peace treaty with Israel giving Jordan the right to terminate or extend the lease of Baqoura and Ghumar areas to Israelis by November 10, 2019, Qudah said:" "There will be no renewal."

The spokesperson also said that Jordan and Israel now are in negotiations on arrangements following the termination of the lease and not on renewing it.  

In October 2018, His Majesty King Abdullah announced the Kingdom's decision to terminate the annexes on the Baqoura and Ghumar areas in the Peace Treaty with Israel by the end of their legal term in October, 2019.

Under the 1994 Wadi Araba Peace Treaty with Israel, Jordan had to decide this year whether or not to renew an agreement that placed thousands of dunums in Baqoura, in the northwestern corner of the Kingdom, and Ghumar, south of the Dead Sea, at the disposal of Israeli farmers, but the Kingdom decided to terminate the annexes and return the lands to Jordanian sovereignty.

WASHINGTON, DC — Improving gender equality is key to boosting economic growth as women around the world take on far more unpaid work than men, including cooking, cleaning and caring for children and the elderly, the International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on Wednesday.

Georgieva, the Bulgarian economist and former World Bank chief executive, urged women around the world to never accept lower pay than men.

The IMF chief said that gender pay gap averaged 16 per cent in advanced economies and was as high as 37 per cent in South Korea, voicing her support for quotas for the private sector to accelerate better representation of women in C-suites.

“I am in favour of quotas because otherwise it will take us a very long time to get to where we want to get,” she said in a session during the IMF’s fall meeting in Washington, DC.

Stressing the key role bridging the gender equality gap plays in triggering growth, she said that companies boosted results by 8 per cent to 11 per cent when they had women on their boards or in senior management, citing IMF reports. 

Georgieva referred to a new IMF working paper on unpaid labour, which was released on Tuesday showing that women do 4.4 hours of unpaid work daily on average around the world and men only 1.7 hours.

The study showed that the gender gap in unpaid hours had narrowed in advanced economies, but that traditional gender imbalances remained in most countries.

According to the IMF report, examples of unpaid work include cooking, cleaning, fetching food or water and caring for children and the elderly.  “These tasks are not counted as part of economic activity because they are difficult to measure based on values in the marketplace. Yet their economic value is substantial, with estimates ranging from 10 to 60 per cent of gross domestic product.”

The report, which showed that unpaid work “is a substantial part of economic activity that goes unmeasured and is shouldered disproportionally by women”, indicated that women disproportionately shoulder the burden of unpaid work. “Less well understood is just how many more unpaid hours women put in than men on a given day.”

Unpaid work declines as economic development increases, particularly because there is less time spent on domestic chores, the report said, indicating that social institutions and values can constrain the redistribution of unpaid work by preventing men from sharing the burden at home.

In Norway, the gap is small, with women doing 3.7 hours of unpaid work, while men contribute 3. On the other extreme, in Egypt, women do 5.4 hours per day of unpaid work and men only 35 minutes. In the US, women do 3.8 hours of unpaid work and men do 2.4 hours, according to the report.

“By not fully engaging women, the economy is misallocating resources, having women do low-productivity tasks at home instead of taking advantage of their full potential in the marketplace. It also misses exploiting the complementarity between women and men in the workplace. The result is lower productivity and economic growth. This gender gap in unpaid work is not just unfair but is clearly inefficient,” according to the report.

The report indicated that some unpaid work is done entirely by choice and that the value to society of raising children for societies cannot be disputed. But more than 80 per cent of unpaid work hours are devoted to domestic chores aside from child and elder care.

Governments need to ensure access to education and healthcare for women. Without proper human capital, women’s opportunities in the labour market are very limited, the report said. “According to UNESCO, 130 million school-age girls are not in school. It is not only a matter of providing the services, but also guaranteeing their use.”