Local

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday attended a ceremony marking the Hijri New Year, held by the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs at the cultural centre of the King Abdullah I Mosque.

During the ceremony, attended by Their Royal Highnesses Prince Feisal and Prince Hashim, King Abdullah honoured distinguished students and supervisors from summer centres for Koran memorisation and recital, affiliated with the Awqaf Ministry, which participated in an initiative to promote positive moral values in society as part of Urdon Al Nakhwa campaign, a Royal Court statement said.

In remarks at the ceremony, Awqaf Minister Abdul Nasser Abul Bassal highlighted the significance of the occasion of Hijra and the attention given by His Majesty to youth and their education.

The ceremony included a religious chant performed by participants in the Koran summer school, and the screening of a documentary on the values embodied in the immigration of Prophet Mohammad to Medina Munawara from Mecca.

The Koran summer school programme, launched in June as part of Urdon Al Nakhwa initiative at centres affiliated with the Awqaf Ministry in governorates around the Kingdom, aimed to promote tolerance and positive values, according to the statement.

The programme saw the enrollment of 106,530 students between the ages of 8 and 16 at 2,100 centres around the Kingdom.

Senior officials and officers, lawmakers, heads of security agencies, diplomats, and several Royal Court officials attended the ceremony, the statement added.

AMMAN — The Ministry of Health has announced plans to open two public dental centres in Amman, the first of their kind in the Kingdom.

After a meeting with the Jordan Dental Association on Sunday, in which its president Azem Qaddoumi put forward the proposal for the dental centres, Minister of Health Saad Jaber directed ministry members to commence with a study on the project.

“The minister sees potential and benefit coming out of this project. That is why he was keen to take up the suggestion and immediately ask the dental department in the ministry to conduct a study that assesses the budget, logistics and personnel needed,” said ministry spokesperson Hatem Azrai.

Azrai added that the minister asked for the study to be ready in “no more than two weeks, so as to start the necessary procedures for opening the clinics as soon as possible.”

For the Jordan Dental Association, the clinics serve two purposes, according to a statement made available to The Jordan Times. One is the presence of public dental clinics to serve citizens, and the other is to benefit dental students.

“We ask for these clinics because dental students struggle to find a public hospital to serve their residency in once they graduate. The public hospitals are limited and overwhelmed with dental graduates from both private and public universities signing up for training,” said the association’s president in the statement.

He added: “This way, they have their own place to train and later work in, which means we can also raise the number of seats for dentistry in universities.”

Azrai concluded that although the first two clinics are to be opened in Amman, the ministry plans on opening “at least one” in each governorate later on.

AMMAN — The Cassation Court has upheld a November Criminal Court decision sentencing a Syrian man to seven years in prison after convicting him of beating his wife to death in Madaba in September 2017.

The Criminal Court handed the defendant the maximum sentence after convicting him of beating and killing his 27-year-old Syrian wife on September 9.

Court documents said the defendant and the victim, who were Zaatari refugee camp residents, got married two years before the incident and moved to Madaba.

“The defendant was used to beating his wife on a regular basis and was tough with her,” court papers said.

On September 9, the court maintained, the defendant and the victim engaged in a heated argument and "he beat his wife, dragged her by her hair and hit her hard on her forehead with his fist".

The defendant left the room and "did not speak to his wife again that evening", court documents added.

The following day, the victim felt dizzy and was rushed to a nearby hospital but was declared dead on arrival, court papers said.

Police questioned the husband and arrested him based on his testimony and the autopsy results, court papers said.

The Criminal Court’s attorney general  had asked the higher court to uphold the death sentence ruling stating that the court abided by the proper legal procedures when sentencing the defendant.

The defendant contested the court ruling arguing that he should receive a lesser charge "because he did not intend to kill his wife and his intention was only to harm her when he beat her up".

However, the Cassation Court ruled that the Criminal Court’s judgement fell within the law, that the proceedings were proper and that the sentence given was satisfactory.

“It was clear to the court that the defendant did not intend to kill his wife and that she died as a result of the injury on her head caused by the beating of her husband,” the higher court ruled.

The Cassation Court tribunal comprised judges Mohammad Ibrahim, Yassin Abdullat, Nayef Samarat, Naji Zu’bi and Hammad Ghzawi.

AMMAN — Members of the Bani Hassan tribe on Saturday reaffirmed their support to the Kingdom in the face of “settlement projects, questionable deals” and foreign agendas.  

During the first Bani Hassan national conference held in Zarqa, Ayed Zyoud, head of the conference’s organisation committee, reiterated the tribe’s stance in support of His Majesty King Abdullah in the face of settlement projects seeking an alternative homeland for the Palestinians, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra. 

Zyoud reiterated the tribe’s support for the King and his efforts in calling for an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. 

Enhancing the cohesion of the nation can only be done through the inclusion of “all tribal, social and political groups” in the process of administrating state affairs, the tribal representative said.

Zyoud called for achieving justice and eliminating the phenomenon of profiteering at the expense of the nation, stressing the need for political reform and efforts to combat corruption. 

“The conference came to stress the depth of the ties between the tribe and Jordan since its foundation,” Zyoud highlighted, reiterating Bani Hassan’s role as a “pillar of the Kingdom’s stability during dark times”. 

“As Jordanians, we have been accustomed to helping those in need and embracing those who have escaped to Jordan,” Zyoud said, adding that this has led to “forced demographic change”, which in turn posed “grave threat” to Jordan’s identity. 

Zyoud noted that Jordan is the midst of a “dire economic crisis”, pointing to indicators of rising unemployment, public debt and budget deficits, compounded by plummeting foreign aid. 

AMMAN — The government is working towards implementing a set of procedures to stimulate economic growth based on enhancing the public-private partnership and addressing challenges, Minister of State for Media Affairs Jumana Ghunaimat said on Sunday.

During a meeting with representatives of media institutions, Ghunaimat, who is also the government spokesperson, said that the government’s mission on anti-smuggling efforts is to guarantee the highest levels of protecting competitiveness and save the Treasury from losses resulting from smuggling. 

The minister noted that the foreign currency reserves in the first half of 2019 increased by 6.4 per cent, compared with the same period of last year, which highlights that the national economy can attract investments.

As for Syrian refugees, she said that Jordan encourages the voluntary return of refugees to their country, noting that the Kingdom keeps its borders open in commitment to its relevant international agreements and human rights conventions.

Meanwhile, Ghunaimat said that recruitment and addressing unemployment require real partnership among all stakeholder institutions, where the government is scheduled to reconsider and revise these issues as part of a comprehensive national plan. 

The minister also went over the moral impact of some practices on social media platforms, saying that there is a “huge difference” between freedom, on the one hand, and accusation and violation of privacy and others’ personal rights, on the other hand.

She also held an interactive meeting with presenters of radio programmes on several issues discussed during the shows as they receive inquiries on these topics from citizens.  

AMMAN — Following a Cabinet decision to lower prices and rent in Tafileh, Madaba and Salt industrial estates under certain conditions, the Jordan Industrial Estates Company (JIEC) was able to attract six industrial investments in Salt and Madaba within less than a month of implementing the decision. 

JIEC signed six investment agreements with two Jordanian investors, one Iraqi-Jordanian joint investor, a Yemeni, and a Syrian investor at the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply. 

During the signing ceremony, Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Tareq Hammouri said that the investment volume for all six investments stands at JD7 million, and are expected to provide over 160 job opportunities in their first phases. 

JIEC CEO Omar Jwaid said the investments are the first in the new industrial estates and are a result of JIEC's efforts after the implementation of the Cabinet decision to lower rent and sale prices in those estates. 

It was revealed earlier that under the decision, for the first 15 industrial company investments in each estate, prices will be lowered between 30 to 80 per cent for the first five dunums, while rent will be lowered by 40 to 70 per cent for the first three years of the contract.

The decision also stipulated that the industrial company must have at least 10 Jordanian employees, registered with the Social Security Corporation from the start of the investment.

Two of the Jordanian companies in Madaba will specialise in foodstuffs as well as aluminium stands and lighting units that work on solar power. 

The third Jordanian investment in Salt will focus on manufacturing educational tools, while the Iraqi-Jordanian joint investment in Salt will also focus on plastic industries. 

The Yemeni investor voiced his interest in the pharmaceutical industry while the Syrian company will focus on construction. 

Jwaid said the companies have achieved the different conditions and investment approvals to benefit from the exemptions and advantages. 

For his part, JIEC Chairman Loay Munir Sehwail commended the government's decision that allowed the JIEC to announce the investment incentives in the new industrial estates. 

For their part, the investors voiced their appreciation for the incentives and voiced several concerns, which the minister and JIEC management promised to look into.

AMMAN — Several industrial sectors have started to “feel a tangible positive impact” in light of the government's decision to adopt the principle of reciprocity regarding Syrian commodities entering the Kingdom and treat them the same as Syria treats Jordanian products. 

During a press conference held on Sunday at the Amman Chamber of Industry (ACI) , President of the ACI and President of the Jordan Chamber of Industry Fathi Jaghbir said that demand on various local products has increased, commending the decision. 

At the press conference, attended by members of the board of directors of both chambers, Jaghbir said that the decision was taken under a request from the industrial sector several months ago because importing Syrian products had a negative effect on local products. 

The decision was not only applied to Syria, but also extended to Turkey after it cancelled the free trade agreement with the Kingdom last year, Jaghbir said, noting that the positive impact has become apparent. 

The ACI president requested that the government continues with this approach, reviewing and evaluating all free trade agreements between Jordan and other countries, and the repercussions of implementing them on national industries in order to take any necessary measures to protect local products and boost competitiveness. 

"The ACI board has followed up on hindrances facing Jordanian exports to several main and potential markets," Jaghbir said, noting that the chamber has prepared a complete document through its observations on the main obstacles facing Jordanian exports to the markets, especially in regards to administrative measures and customs. 

The chamber then referred the document to the government in order to work on those issues, so that if the countries involved in the agreements do not respond, similar measures will be taken against their exports to Jordan.

In spite of the existence of the Greater Arab Free Trade Area (GAFTA) agreement and bilateral agreements between Jordan and various countries, there still remains violation against the priority of Jordanian products' entry to some markets, Jaghbir said.

He added that this contradicts the agreement articles that entail facilitating and growing commercial exchange between GAFTA member states as well as other multi-lateral agreements.

In this regard, he said that some countries singled themselves out of the free trade agreements, imposing customs fees or other administrative fees that limit the possibility of entry for Jordanian products to their markets. 

Jaghbir also reviewed the experience of Jordanian industrialists in exporting to the Egyptian market, for which they have to pre-register at the involved Egyptian institutions or request documents that the Jordanian government does not issue, such as a factory's licence, as part of the exportation documents, while the Ministry of Industry issues a registration certificate and not a licence.

He also highlighted several other challenges that imposed financial burdens on exports.

Jaghbir cited Department of Statistics figures showing that Jordan has lost around 85 per cent of its exports to Syria in the past six years, and in spite of the reopening of the Jordanian-Syrian border, the exports to Syria still face several hindrances, most notably the Syrian government's prevention of importing certain products with the pretext of wanting to protect their own national products.

The Syrian authorities now only allow importing certain industrial or agricultural products, under the condition that the Syrian trader or agent obtains certain approvals from the authorities first. 

The ACI president thus highlighted the importance of building commercial relations between Jordan and different countries around the world, especially countries in the region, based on mutual benefit without restrictions or hindrances. 

The chamber also mentioned that the commercial exchange volume between Jordan and Syrian during the first eight months of 2019 stood at JD59.7 million, while with Egypt it stood at JD298.5 million. 

AMMAN — Tamkeen Centre, an NGO which specialises in protecting the rights of migrant and refugee workers, said it has sent 19 human trafficking complaints to the Public Security Directorate’s anti-trafficking department in the first six months of this year.

According to information provided by the centre, seven of the complaints have been confirmed and dealt with by the department as trafficking charges to date.

“Every complaint that we receive is studied carefully to make sure that it is legitimate, because human trafficking is a serious charge,” said Mohammed Armouti, a media officer in the trafficking department, adding that they receive hundreds of complaints from workers who “simply want to get rid of their employer and have no serious claim to a trafficking charge”.

The acquitted charges, according to Tamkeen’s report, were cases of withholding the foreign worker’s passport, denying medical assistance, cutting off communication with the outside world and maltreatment.

Mahdi Safadi, an owner of a bureau that recruits foreign workers, said that many employers ground foreign workers by withholding their passports and lock them in and take their key away “out of fear that the employee might escape”.

He added: “We have customers who have had three maids run away in less than six months. They had to pay over JD2000 for each one on top of the inconvenience, which is why people with experiences like this tend to restrict the worker’s movement.”

As for Rimas Hamdan, also an owner of a bureau for employing foreign workers, “there is a clear line between what is trafficking and what is the employer getting their money’s worth. Some workers cry maltreatment to cover up being the ones who refuse to do their jobs.”

She added: “This does not cancel out, however, all the real and harsh cases of human trafficking that many foreign workers go through. I am sure the authorities know how to identify real abuse.”

AMMAN — The Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation (JHCO) on Sunday launched “Blue..Green” initiative to provide free school uniforms for girls at public schools.

Part of the Urdon Al Nakhwa initiative, the campaign, “sprouted from a sense of social solidarity” and aiming to help the needy, would offer 15,000 blue and green school uniforms for girls in the Kingdom’s underprivileged regions, according to a JHCO statement carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

Urdon Al Nakhwa initiative aims to instill the concepts of volunteerism, solidarity and social cohesion among local communities, Petra said.

With the aim of supporting the education sector, the organisation has bought the uniforms from the local market to be distributed to schoolchildren in coordination with the Education Ministry, the All of Jordan Youth Commission and volunteers enrolled with Sanid, a volunteer team affiliated with the JHCO.  

JHCO Secretary General Ayman Mifleh called on the private sector to take part in the initiative, especially as the campaign aims at further accentuating the education sector and making every effort to support it, according to Petra.

Established in 1990 as a multi-functional relief and humanitarian foundation, JHCO, a non-governmental, non-profit organisation, now provides direct humanitarian aid to affected countries during and/or after conflict and natural disasters, according to their website. 

AMMAN — Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Maj. Gen. Yousef Huneiti and Commander of the US Marine Corps Forces Central Command Lt. Gen. Carl Mundy III on Sunday discussed the latest regional and international developments.

Huneiti and Mundy, in the presence of the US military attaché in Amman, also went over military cooperation and coordination and means to enhance bilateral relations in a way that serves the interests of both countries’ armed forces, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.