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AMMAN — The Amman Chamber of Commerce (ACC) and Ramallah-Bireh Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding to stimulate cooperation in the fields of trade and investment between Jordan and Palestine.

The memo, by ACC President Khalil Hajj Tawfiq and President of the Ramallah chamber Abdulghani Attari, also aims at creating effective communication means between the two chambers to increase commercial and investment exchange and establishing joint ventures, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

AMMAN — President of the Jordan Chamber of Commerce (JCC) Senator Nael Kabariti and Cypriot Ambassador to Jordan Andreas Kouzoupis on Monday discussed means to enhance mutual investment opportunities, highlighting the importance of the private sector in this regard.

Kabariti called for cooperation and action to address challenges, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. For his part, Kouzoupis stressed the importance of stimulating investment and commercial exchange, mainly in tourism, food, construction, real estate and pharmaceutical sectors.

AMMAN — President of the Amman and Jordan Chambers of Industry Fathi Jaghbir on Monday highlighted the importance of benefitting from German waste recycling technology, citing its positive impact on the environment and the economy.

During his inaugural address at a Jordanian-German seminar on the management of industrial waste, Jaghbir pointed to the necessity of setting the stage for investments in the waste management field, in addition to providing incentives, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra. Jaghbir called for a review of the current draft law on waste management.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday accepted the credentials of a number of new ambassadors to Jordan during a ceremony at Basman Palace,according to a Royal Court statement.

King Abdullah accepted the credentials of ambassadors Khaled Al Naseri of Morocco, Saud Bin Nasser Bin Jassim Al Thani of Qatar, Aidarbek Tumatov of Kazakhstan, Veronique Vouland-Aneini of France, Anwar Haleem of India, Maria Hadjitheodosiou of the European Union, Rodrigo Espinosa Aguirre of Chile, and Eleftheria Galathianaki of the Hellenic Republic, as well as non-resident ambassador Yuri Sluka of the Republic of Belarus.

 Royal Hashemite Court Chief Yousef Issawi and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi attended the ceremony.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah, accompanied by HRH Crown Prince Hussein, met on Sunday with local political, economic and media figures at Basman Palace to discuss domestic and regional concerns.

During the meeting, King Abdullah emphasised that the top priority is to reduce unemployment rates and enhance people’s living standards, a Royal Court statement said.

His Majesty stressed the importance of seizing economic opportunities, removing obstacles facing local and foreign investors, and speeding up the procedures required to enable them to launch their projects.

The King called for having clear priorities for the years ahead, with an economic strategy that stimulates investment and bolsters exports and economic competitiveness.

Moreover, His Majesty urged an effective partnership between the government and Parliament to improve people’s living standards and enhance public engagement in decision making, according to the statement.

The King called for empowering youth and nurturing their sense of innovation, especially as they seek to establish small- and medium-sized enterprises.

His Majesty noted the need to continue efforts to increase job opportunities for young people and invest in agriculture, energy and medical, religious and adventure tourism.

Stressing the significance of effective public-private partnership, the King said strategies should be transformed into concrete and transparent action in partnership with all.

Discussing efforts to combat corruption, His Majesty said Jordan is forging ahead in this endeavour, with the rule of law as the guarantor, the Royal Court added.

Additionally, the King noted that the interests of students should always be the goal and the focal point of responsible dialogue.

His Majesty also stressed the influence of media and opinion leaders on national issues by leading constructive debate to offer opportunities and solutions.

The King said all must raise awareness and inspire a sense of positivity, while highlighting the facts to the public.

Turning to the Palestinian cause, His Majesty reaffirmed Jordan’s steadfast and clear position in support of the Palestinians as they seek their just and legitimate rights and the establishment of their independent state on the June 4, 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital, on the basis of the two-state solution.

On the sidelines of the upcoming UN General Assembly meetings in New York, the King said he will meet with a number of international leaders and officials to reiterate Jordan’s steadfast position on the Palestinian cause, stressing that “it is our duty to stand with our Palestinian brethren”.

His Majesty said Jordan has strong, brotherly ties with Arab countries, highlighting economic cooperation with Iraq, the statement added.

Sunday’s meeting was in line with the King’s ongoing outreach to various groups and figures to discuss issues of national concern, according to the Royal Court.

For their part, the attendees said the government should adopt plans with clear timeframes to address economic conditions, stressing the need to work towards self-reliance while ensuring stability in investment-related legislation.

They commended His Majesty’s directives to the government, at a recent Cabinet meeting, to clarify programmes and plans and reach clear results by the end of the year.

The attendees also called for enhancing trust between officials and citizens, improving health and education services, countering poverty and unemployment, capitalising on opportunities in tourism and agriculture, investing in technical and vocational education, and promoting a culture of self-employment.

They stressed the need to counter rumours with facts and accurate information, noting the role of the media in oversight and constructive criticism while spreading a sense of positivity, the statement said.

Turning to the teachers’ protest, the attendees urged a calm approach and dialogue rather than escalatory measures that harm society.

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

AMMAN — A plan for establishing a national economic council is under way, an official source said on Sunday.

The envisioned council would compris veteran experts and specialists in the economic sector, from both the public and private sectors, the source said. 

The council will be tasked with reviewing all economic issues in the Kingdom and providing effective, practical and comprehensive recommendations to address them, according to the official. 

Under the plan, all solutions, recommendations and proposals generated by the national economic council would be referred for endorsement to His Majesty King Abdullah, the source added. 

The planned assembly would be complementary to the National Policies Council, the source noted.

AMMAN — Classrooms were almost deserted on Sunday as teachers in public schools around the Kingdom began an open strike demanding a pay raise and parents opted not to send their children to school.

After talks with the government resulted in no agreement on Saturday, the Jordan Teachers Association (JTA) announced that it would go ahead with an open strike, just a week after the academic year began, until the government delivers a 50-per cent raise.

The association says that the raise in teachers’ salaries was agreed upon with the government five years ago but never materialised.

Under the JTA’s instructions, teachers reported to schools and ran the morning assembly, but did not attend the classes, and students who showed up remained in school yards.

Minister of State for Media Affairs and Government Spokesperson Jumana Ghunaimat reiterated on Sunday that the government is committed to dialogue with the JTA, but there were no indications of new scheduled talks or prospects for an agreement to end the strike.

Meanwhile, in private schools, classes resumed as usual.

According to the Jordan News Agency, Petra, around 1.5 million students are enrolled in public schools around the Kingdom, which employ some 80,000 teachers.

On Thursday, teachers from around the Kingdom took part in a sit-in in Amman during school hours demanding the pay raise, after which they announced a strike, dubbed “illegal” by the government at the time. 

In a press conference following Saturday’s talks, JTA Vice President Naser Nawasrah told the press that teachers “will not enter the classrooms until those responsible for transgressions against teachers during Thursday’s protest are held accountable”, to which the government responded with a request for the syndicate to provide a list of all alleged violations during Thursday’s sit-in, pledging to investigate any cases of “documented” transgressions “seriously and transparently”.

For its part, the Public Security Department (PSD) said in its own press conference that its personnel “practised restraint” during Thursday’s protests, but they “were driven to the use of force by some protesters who were shoving their way to reach Fourth Circle”.

The PSD stated that it detained 50 teachers during the protests for “illegally forcing their way through”, adding that 15 of them were referred to the Bayadir precinct, where they underwent protocol procedures.

The government reiterated on Saturday its commitment to dialogue as a way to improve the living conditions of teachers and public-sector employees as well as enhancing the educational process by boosting performance.

AMMAN — An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission is scheduled to visit the Kingdom during the second half of September to discuss the third review of the Jordanian economy.

A source told Al Rai daily that IMF mission Chief Chris Jarvis will head the delegation, which includes former mission chief Martin Cerisola and a team of specialists who are scheduled to meet with the ministers of finance, planning and energy, as well as the governor of the Central Bank of Jordan.

The source said that the IMF mission will mainly discuss the general performance of the Jordanian economy and its growth rate, in addition to the requirements for concluding the third review.

The source added that the IMF is also scheduled to discuss the file of energy and electricity strategies, noting that members of the mission will provide proposals and recommendations on the Kingdom’s financial and economic sectors and help address any shortcomings in any given sector. 

On August 24, 2016 the IMF Executive Board approved a three-year extended arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) for Jordan for an amount equivalent to SDR 514.65 million (about $723 million, or 150 per cent of Jordan’s quota) to support the Kingdom’s economic and financial reform programme. 

Earlier this year, Jordan asked the IMF to extend the current programme for six more months until a decision is reached regarding a new programme with the fund.

The scheme aims at advancing fiscal consolidation to lower public debt and implementing broad structural reforms to enhance the conditions for more inclusive growth.

AMMAN — Former MP Hail Daja has published a copy of a letter from former education minister Mohammad Thneibat, dated August 28, 2014. The letter is a reply to the Jordan Teachers Association (JTA) and does not mention the 50-per cent raise.   

Daja said that the parliamentary mediation committee had asked Thneibat back then to issue a formal letter, in which he honour pledges agreed upon by the ministry and the syndicate, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Sunday.

The former deputy said that the letter issued by Thneibat did not include any commitment from the government to the 50-per cent raise due to the difficult conditions of the General Budget. 

The letter only included understandings on protecting teachers, health insurance, the social security fund, the civil service by-law and the private educational institution by-law, according to the former lawmaker. 

On Thursday, teachers from around the Kingdom took part in a sit-in in Amman during school hours demanding a raise that they said had been agreed upon with the government five years  ago but never materialised, after which they announced a strike, dubbed “illegal” by the government at the time.

The JTA on Saturday said it was adamant on starting an open strike on Sunday after talks with the government regarding their demand of a 50-per cent raise bore no results.

In a press conference following the Saturday talks, JTA Vice President Naser Nawasrah told the press that teachers “will not enter the classrooms until those responsible for transgressions against teachers during Thursday’s protest are held accountable”, to which the government responded with a request for the syndicate to provide a list of all alleged violations during Thursday’s sit-in, pledging to investigate any cases of “documented” transgressions “seriously and transparently”.

For its part, the Public Security Department said in its own press conference that its personnel “practised restraint” during Thursday’s protests, but they “were driven to the use of force by some protesters who were shoving their way to reach the Fourth Circle”.

The government reiterated on Saturday its commitment to dialogue as a way to improve the living conditions of teachers and public-sector employees as well as enhancing the educational process by boosting performance. 

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a July State Security Court ruling sentencing a man to 10 years in prison after convicting him of attempting to join terrorist groups and plotting attacks on police officers in December 2017.

The court declared the defendant, who is a supporter of the Daesh extremist group, guilty of threatening to conduct terrorist activities against police officers and handed him the maximum sentence.

Court papers said the defendant and another man who did not appeal his verdict were strong believers in the Daesh terror group and its ideology.

"The defendant and his friend used all means to spread the Daesh ideology because they believed that they applied the correct Sharia [Islamic law]," court transcripts said.

The defendant decided to target police officers "because it was acceptable to kill them based on  Daesh ideology", court papers said.

"The defendant and his friend also wanted to meet Daesh fighters and decided to travel to Syria via Turkey," court papers said.

However, the two were arrested before they were able to carry out any of their alleged plans, the court documents said.

The defendant, through his lawyer, contested the verdict, arguing that the SSC failed to present any solid evidence that could implicate him.

The lawyer also argued that the SSC relied on weak evidence and unreliable witnesses when issuing its verdict, according to court documents.

Meanwhile, the SSC's general attorney had asked the higher court to uphold the ruling, stating that the court abided by the proper legal procedures when sentencing the defendant.

The higher court ruled that the SSC followed the proper procedures when sentencing the defendant and that he deserved the verdict he received. 

The Court of Cassation judges were Mohammad Ibrahim, Naji Zubi, Yassin Abdullat, Bassim Mubeidin and Saeed Mugheid.