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AMMAN — Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al Sabah on Thursday received Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi who is on an official visit to Kuwait.

Safadi conveyed a message from His Majesty King Abdullah offering congratulations over Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah's recovery, wishing him continued good health and well-being, and the people of Kuwait continued progress and prosperity.

The two sides highlighted the deep Jordanian-Kuwaiti ties, with Safadi hailing Kuwait's supportive stances towards the Kingdom, a Foreign Ministry statement said.

The top dilomat also discussed with Kuwait Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al Sabah, who attended the meeting, means of bolstering bilateral ties and the latest regional developments.

Safadi and his counterpart highlighted the importance of following up on the implementation of the 17 agreements, memoranda of understanding and executive programmes in various fields to enhance cooperation. 

The deals signed by the joint Jordanian-Kuwaiti higher committee last February covered various fields such as legal and judicial cooperation, education, tourism, industry, meteorology, environment, civil administration development, oil, gas and renewable energy, as well as social affairs. 

The two ministers discussed ways of furthering cooperation in various fields, stressing the importance of intensifying efforts to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the centrality of the Palestinian cause to the region, which cannot be resolved unless the Palestinians receive all their legitimate rights, especially to freedom and an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital along the June 4, 1967 lines, in accordance with international legislation and the Arab Peace Initiative. 

The two sides also reaffirmed their rejection of all unilateral Israeli measures that aim to change the facts on the ground and alter Jerusalem’s historical and legal status quo or that of its Islamic and Christian holy sites.

The Kuwaiti official commended the Kingdom’s role under His Majesty King Abdullah’s leadership in protecting the Muslim and Christian sites in East Jerusalem under the Hashemite Custodianship of holy shrines. 

Safadi expressed gratitude for the Kuwaiti support to UNRWA, with the two sides underlining the importance of sustaining support to UNRWA so that it can continue playing its UN-mandated role towards the refugees.

Talks also went over the need to enhance efforts seeking to resolve the Syrian crisis through a political solution, which preserves the country’s unity and cohesion, restores security and stability, achieves national reconciliation and sets the stage for the voluntary return of refugees. 

The two sides also urged the international community to shoulder its responsibility through increasing support for the Kingdom, as a refugee-hosting country.

For his part, Sheikh Sabah hailed the Kingdom’s humanitarian role in hosting Syrian refugees.

Both sides also reaffirmed the importance of preventing escalation in the Arab Gulf and defusing the current crisis through dialogue to achieve regional relations that are built on the principles of good neighbourliness and non-interference in internal affairs.

The discussions also touched on resolving the Yemeni crisis in accordance with international legitimacy references, in addition to combatting terrorism, which, they said, contradicts all cultures and religions.

The importance of maintaining coordination and consultation between the two countries on various issues of mutual concern was also stressed, in the best interest of their peoples, with the officials highlighting their countries’ common vision. 

AMMAN — Interior Minister Salameh Hammad has pledged to resolve the issue of detainees arrested in the context of Ramtha’s weekend events by Sunday, MP Khaled Abu Hassan told Al Rai on Thursday.

Sixteen youth from Ramtha have been arrested on charges of illegal assembly, obstruction of justice and online publications in the aftermath of small-scale rioting in the northern border town over the weekend in protest of a Cabinet decision to enforce tighter regulations on the Jaber-Nasib border crossing between Jordan and Syria.

Abu Hassan has met with Hammad to urge him to resolve the issue of the 16 detained youth, among which are high school students, he said.

On Wednesday, a ban on entry to Syria through the Jaber-Nasib border crossing that had been imposed after the riots on 500 vehicles owned by “bahara” was lifted from 238 vehicles. 

“Bahara” is the Arabic term for sailors, used to describe drivers of vehicles carrying passengers to Syria, Iraq and other countries.

Following talks between Hammad and a committee formed from Ramtha dignitaries in the wake of the riots, the former pledged to lift the ban on the remaining vehicles and allow them to go back and forth through the recently reopened crossing, provided that drivers adhere to laws and regulations and apply the clauses mentioned in a memorandum of understanding agreed upon with Ramtha dignitaries.

The government specified last Friday a cigarettes allowance for arriving passengers of one carton, containing 10 packs with 200 cigarettes, instead of two cartons.

To curb cigarette smuggling primarily through the Jaber crossing, the decision also expanded the jurisdiction of customs personnel and security to include the no-man’s land between Jordan and Syria, entitling them to perform initial inspections on travellers before they enter the customs zone.

The decision also labels as “smuggling” any involvement in the possession of more than one box of cigarettes, containing 10 packs with 200 cigarettes, and stipulates applying strict legal procedures, including the seizure of vehicles containing extra boxes.

The recent decisions sparked outrage among some of Ramtha’s residents, a significant number of which work in passenger ferrying services.

Before the break-out of the crisis in Syria in 2011, a total of 1,200 passenger vehicles used to operate on the Ramtha-Daraa and Jaber-Nasib border crossings between Jordan and Syria.

AMMAN — The Senate on Thursday scrapped an article added by the Lower House to the Social Security Law that entitles lawmakers to old-age, disability and death insurances. 

The Upper House, which endorsed the remainder of the 2019 amendments to the bill as referred by the Lower House, justified its rejection to MPs' subscription amendment to its deviation from the original objectives of the law, noting that removing the provision in question would bear no effect on the right to voluntary subscription, which is available for lawmakers without Parliament having to incur further costs. 

Senators also argued that the article revokes the notion of the allowance that is granted to MPs from monthly allocations.

The bill is set to be referred back to the Lower House to resolve the dispute over lawmakers’ retirement benefits.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State Rajai Muasher defended the article endorsed by the Lower House, arguing that it “serves national interests” by encouraging the participation in elections of as many people as possible by ensuring that their financial rights would be preserved should they win. 

In addition, the SSC perceives allowances as part of the salary, Muasher argued.

SSC Director General Hazem Rahahleh said that monthly subscription fees would stand at JD300 per member.

The Lower House on Sunday endorsed the 2019 amendments to the Social Security Law, raising the age of early retirement for men to 55 from 50, provided that each member has rendered at least 21 years of service, while the earliest age women can get their benefits is 52 with at least 19 years of service. In the current law, women can retire at any age as long as they have subscribed to social security for 19 years.

According to the amended bill, deputies and senators are eligible for old-age, disability and death insurances upon their request, with deductions calculated according to their monthly stipends. 

Another major amendment to the new bill allows Jordanian subscribers to dip into their social security savings to cover the costs of their children’s higher education or pay for medical treatment expenses for themselves or members of their families.

AMMAN — High rainfall during last winter resulted in increased cereal yield during the current harvest season, especially in the northern region, Agriculture Minister Ibrahim Shahahdeh said on Thursday.

The minister said that the government has received a total of 20,113 tonnes of consumable barely and 40,122 tonnes of barely fodder from farmers, the Jordan news agency, Petra, reported.

Shahahdeh said that the government supports farmers through buying their wheat and barley at "excellent prices that are much higher than international rates", all with the aim of increasing local production of the strategic crops.

While only one million dunums of land in Jordan is used to grow wheat and barley, the country needs four million dunums of land to raise these major crops.

Farmers grow wheat across the country, but grains are mainly cultivated in Irbid and Houran plains in the north, Madaba and Husban in the central region and Arrabeh in the southern Governorate of Karak.

The Kingdom, which consumes more than 80,000 tonnes of wheat per month, imports over 96 per cent of its wheat needs as domestic production covers only around 4 per cent of demand.

Jordan imports the majority of its wheat from several countries, including Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Russia, Romania and the United States.

AMMAN — The Stationery and Office Equipment Traders Association on Thursday voiced concern about the economic conditions and challenges facing traders in the sector, especially “poachers who hijack” the season from licensed bookshop owners. 

The sector has over 3,000 trader, importer, distributor and bookshop owners around the Kingdom, member of the board of directors and deputy secretary of the association, Samer Hijzai told The Jordan Times over the phone on Thursday.

“They aim to provide all office services and sell stationery to government departments, schools, hospitals, private companies and, of course, individuals, especially since they all need such items,” he said.

However, after these traders, distributors and bookshop owners all readied their goods for the new season that starts next week and comes only once every year, they were surprised by unlicensed street vendors and tents violating all laws and regulations that prevent them from wronging traders.

“Bookshops are licensed at the Ministry of Industry and Trade with a registry and a permit and so on, and they work lightly all year, but the actual period of work is the back to school season,” he said, noting that one might find a tent at a mall’s entrance filled with stationery sold without licences or permits.

“There is a large vegetable and fruit shop with  dedicated space for backpacks and stationery, open only for two weeks preceding the new academic year,” Hijazi said, claiming that last year a car showroom removed two to three vehicles and dedicated space to sell stationery. 

“We went to the Greater Amman Municipality and talked to the trade minister and were promised action but nothing has happened,” he said.

If traders are not protected and the season ends without having sold anything, the cheques will pile up and they will not be able to pay back the cost of the goods they bought, Hijazi said.

When traders are unable to pay salaries or bills, they will end up bankrupt and probably in jail.

“Even the bigger distributor who supplied 20 to 30 bookshop owners goods to sell, with the hope of having the money back after the season. What is going to happen to them? They will have cheques worth thousands of dinars piled up,” the deputy secretary said.

Hijzai called on parents and families to buy only from licensed bookshops to ensure the quality of the items, especially since the vendors, and tents will “disappear” after the season ends. 

He also urged the concerned entities to intervene and protect traders and bookshop owners from total collapse and bankruptcy.

AMMAN — Royal Court Chief Yousef Issawi, head of the follow-up committee for the implementation of Royal initiatives, on Thursday attended the launching ceremony of a Royal initiative to empower underprivileged and limited-income families in Madaba. 

The initiative aims at improving the living conditions and incomes of targeted families through presenting necessary support that enables them to establish small, productive projects, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The initiative also includes providing training on establishing and administrating schemes, in addition to presenting technical support and feasibility studies and following up on the ventures to guarantee their success, focusing on the women and youth sectors, as well as building up the capabilities of local institutions that are partners in implementation. 

The ceremony, held at the Royal Hashemite Court, witnessed the signing of several agreements between the Jordan River Foundation (JRF) and 18 charity associations in the governorate, which have been chosen according to standards accredited to carrying out the initiative.

The first phase of the plan aims at establishing 189 small productive schemes, where beneficiary associations refinance other projects to new families according to the revolving fund mechanisms, under which an association reuses the grant to fund other ventures, in a way that guarantees targeting the largest number of families.

Issawi said that His Majesty King Abdullah’s top priorities are to improve the living conditions of citizens, develop the quality of services presented to them and distribute the development gains in a fair way to all regions of the Kingdom, so as to meet citizens’ aspirations and ambitions. 

For his part, Acting Secretary General of the Social Development Minister Muhammad Sawalqah stressed the ministry’s commitment to presenting all types of facilities and support to effective charity associations. 

JRF Director General Enaam Barrishi said that the citizens’ needs are the top priority while drawing strategies of institutions, organisations and partners, highlighting the role of initiatives in supporting and empowering local community residents to implement productive projects that adopt self-employment mechanisms.  

Representatives of charity associations in Madaba expressed their appreciation for the Royal initiatives that enhance the development role of associations through implementing productive projects that generate incomes and provide job opportunities.

AMMAN — The Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union (APU) on Thursday condemned the US State Department's removal of the Palestinian Territories from its website.

The US State Department's step towards dropping Palestinian Territories from its list of countries and areas in the Middle East, establishes the US administration's bias towards the occupation and giving up its role as a peace mediator, President of the APU Atef Tarawneh said in a statement carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

This step, which constitutes a “clear violation” of international law and international legitimacy resolutions, is a green light for the occupation forces to carry out more displacements, demolition operations and erasing of Palestinian history, especially in terms of Jerusalem and its surroundings, Tarawneh added.

The Palestinian state is recognised by 140 states, he said, highlighting its membership in more than 150 international organisations in addition to the bilateral agreements with most countries of the world. These facts cannot be changed or denied, he said. 

Tarawneh, who is also the Lower House speaker, added that the deletion targets the Palestinians’ rights to statehood, all final-status issues and the return of refugees.

Blasting the deletion and biased American decisions, the statement reaffirmed that Palestinian's rights are protected by hundreds of resolutions made by the UN General Assembly, the UN Security Council and international institutions.   

Reiterating the centrality of the Palestinian cause and Jerusalem for Arabs and Muslims, Tarawneh expressed the APU's full support to Palestinian territories and people.

He also called on the UN Security Council, with its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, as well as the implementation of international legitimacy resolutions, to fulfill its responsibility through taking a decisive stance that rejects the decision which would ignite the region resulting in insecurity and instability.

AMMAN — The Cassation Court has upheld a May 2018 Criminal Court decision to sentence a man to 12 years in prison after convicting him of attempting to murder his brother in Zarqa in December  2017.

The Criminal Court handed the defendant the maximum sentence after convicting him of stabbing his 22-year-old brother following a dispute.

However, the tribunal decided to immediately reduce the sentence to eight years because the victim dropped charges against his brother.

Court documents said the defendant and the victim were at home on December 5 and were both "under the influence of alcohol".

An argument ensued and the defendant grabbed a switchblade and stabbed his brother twice in the chest.

The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital and was admitted to the surgery unit where he underwent several surgeries and his life was spared, according to court transcripts.

Meanwhile, police arrested the defendant and found a switchblade on him, court papers said.

"The weapon was sent to the criminal lab for analysis and the technicians there determined that the blood found on the switchblade belonged to the victim," according to court documents.

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

The defendant contested the court ruling arguing that he “was under the influence of alcohol when the stabbing incident occurred”.

The defendant also argued that he stabbed his brother in a moment of rage "because he was defending himself and should get a reduction in penalty".

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 victim did not commit any unlawful or dangerous act against the defendant and therefore, the defendant does not benefit from a reduction in penalty,” the higher court ruled.

The Cassation Court tribunal comprised judges Mohammad Ibrahim, Saeed Mugheid, Bassem Mubeidin, Naji Zubi and Majid Azab. 

AMMAN — Finance Minister Ezzeddine Kanakrieh on Thursday highlighted the importance of presenting all customs facilities necessary to stimulate the investment environment.

Heading a meeting for directors of customs departments and centres, in the presence of Jordan Customs Department (JCD) Director General Maj. Gen. Abdelmajid Rahamneh, Kanakrieh called for facilitating the movement of goods and passengers through border crossings, according to a Finance Ministry statement. 

The minister also urged curbing smuggling and illegal trade so as to enhance and protect the national economy.

He directed the JCD to examine and consider hanging customs cases with investors and constantly evaluate them with the relevant monitoring institutions, so as to identify the shortcomings and address them quickly. 

Kanakrieh called for improving the customs procedures without neglecting the monitoring role, praising the efforts of the JCD that works round the clock to serve the business sector and national economy. 

The minister also highlighted the importance of keeping pace with technological developments and adopting high-level organisational rules that can help save time and effort while doing e-commerce. 

For his part, Rahamneh expressed appreciation for holding such meetings that aim at supporting the department’s efforts and developing work procedures.

At the end of the meeting, Kanakrieh expressed his gratitude for Rahamneh and all JCD personnel, urging them for more efforts to further develop the customs work and build on previous achievements. 

The Cabinet on Wednesday backtracked on a decision requiring online shoppers to submit an application through JCD’s e-platform before proceeding with their purchases, designating the condition as a responsibility of express shipping companies instead.

Earlier this month, the Cabinet made a decision under which online shoppers would have to visit www.customs.gov.jo to fill in the necessary data, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

Under the decision, online shoppers would have also had to use their names to authorise the entry of the purchased products for personal use, paying JD5 for each order up to JD50 and JD10 for each order between JD50 and JD100, without exceeding the annual cap. 

The Cabinet’s earlier decision also slashed the annual cap on customs-exempt online-bought clothes, shoes, foodstuffs and children's toys from JD2,400 to JD500. 

His Majesty King Abdullah, in the presence of HRH Crown Prince Hussein, meets with Defence Senior Adviser for the Middle East at the UK Ministry of Defence Lt. Gen. Sir John Lorimer on Wednesday over the strategic partnership between Jordan and the UK.

His Majesty and Sir Lorimer also discussed means to enhance cooperation between the two countries, mainly at the defence level, as well as regional and international efforts in the war on terrorism within a holistic approach, according to a Royal Court statement