Local

AMMAN — Prime Minister Omar Razzaz has issued a communiqué declaring Saturday, August 31, a public holiday for ministries and public departments to observe the Islamic Hijri new year, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

This Muharram 1 marks 1441 lunar years since Prophet Mohammad’s migration from Mecca to Medina, known as “hijra”.

AMMAN — A delegation from the Egyptian Mine and Quarry Workers Union on Tuesday visited the factories of the Arab Potash Company (APC) in Ghor Safi to learn more about the company’s operations.

During his meeting with the delegation, APC President and CEO Maen Nsour said that the company has begun producing new types of red-granular potash to meet the demands of the market.

Nsour noted that the company is in the process of altering its strategic plan for the next 10 years, taking into consideration “dynamic changes” that have affected the fertiliser industry, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

AMMAN — The Association of Arab Universities (AAU) and the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology have agreed to establish specialised centres in Jordan and Egypt to provide the faculties of Arab universities with training in modern Chinese technology, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The agreement came during a signing of a cooperation agreement between the AAU and the China-Arab States Technology Transfer department, which is part of the Chinese ministry. 

In a statement carried by Petra on Tuesday, AAU Secretary General Amr Salameh said that the fields of training will include 2D photo scanning in addition to training in various technologies as well as Mandarin courses.  

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah, chairing part of a Cabinet meeting at the Prime Ministry on Monday, stressed the need for the government to implement its strategic projects to improve the public’s living standards, within a set timeframe.

King Abdullah emphasised the need for the government to publicly announce the completion dates of its projects, transparently clarify its working methods, and explain its plans and programmes to citizens, urging tangible results before the end of the year, a Royal Court statement said.

During the meeting, His Majesty stressed the importance of continuing to support small- and medium-sized enterprises led by youth, as well as employment for young people, highlighting that empowering young Jordanians will have outstanding results, since youths always make Jordan proud.

Moreover, the King directed the government to develop a programme to support and finance higher education students, especially those majoring in specialties on demand in the labour market.

His Majesty underscored the need for officials to be boldly decisive, calling for activating coordination and cooperation with the private sector to move forward in supporting and strengthening domestic investment as well as attracting foreign investors, according to the statement. 

The King urged the government to accelerate the implementation of projects under way and seize the available opportunities, noting that some government decisions affect local and foreign investors alike.

Placing barriers instead of facilitating investment affects Jordan’s reputation and the desired course of economic prosperity, His Majesty stressed.

The King told the government that he is closely following the development of the investment ecosystem in the Kingdom, urging results before the end of the year, the Royal Court added.

His Majesty also stressed the need to utilise the Kingdom’s promising potential in tourism — be it medical, adventure, religious, or educational tourism — to support current investments, attract new ones and provide job opportunities.

The King emphasised the importance of encouraging Jordanian expatriates to invest in the Kingdom by drafting the required laws and regulations, calling for capitalising on promising economic opportunities in various sectors, such as e-commerce, so that Jordan becomes a regional hub for this sector.

His Majesty urged the government to move forward in the e-government project to provide quality services to citizens and various sectors, stressing the importance of continuing to enhance public sector performance, the statement added.

The King said he is also following the progress in the projects unveiled at the London Initiative conference earlier this year, directing the government to begin the implementation phase and ensure transparency on the financial side.

Moreover, His Majesty underscored the importance of studying the impact of laws, procedures and decisions on citizens before endorsing them.

The King called for streamlining procedures for citizens, investors and companies.

Also during the Cabinet meeting, His Majesty inquired on progress in establishing a unit to coordinate public-private partnership projects, as well as progress in the national strategic infrastructure projects unveiled at the London Initiative conference, the e-government project, and the railway project connecting the Aqaba Port to the Maan dry port, according to the Royal Court.

The King also asked about the government’s plan to develop and support decentralisation, and the planned date to launch a project to empower youth and enable them to start small- and medium-sized projects.

Turning to healthcare, His Majesty posed a question on the planned date to finalise the strategic map of health services to ensure the provision of quality services, also asking when the construction of Salt Public Hospital will be completed.

In addition, the King inquired about the government’s plan to enhance the customs and income and sales tax departments, the statement said.

Speaking at the meeting, Prime Minister Omar Razzaz expressed appreciation for His Majesty’s close follow-up on programmes and projects implemented by the government, affirming the government’s commitment to implement the King’s directives to enhance services provided to the public while using key performance indicators to measure progress and ensure transparency.

Also during the meeting, several ministers outlined progress in the plans and projects undertaken by their ministries.

Royal 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 — President of the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union (APU) and Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh on Monday condemned the Israeli attack that targeted southern Beirut on Sunday morning with two drones, which resulted in several injuries among civilians. 

In an APU statement, carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, Tarawneh called on the international community to implement international legitimacy resolutions to put an end to Israeli violations and threats to Lebanese sovereignty. 

The speaker also expressed the APU’s full support of Lebanon in its efforts to protect its national sovereignty.

AMMAN — The Senate on Monday upheld its previous decision on the draft mediation of the civil disputes law, which will require a joint session to end gridlock.

The Lower House, last week, insisted on its position on the draft mediation of the civil disputes law, rejecting for the second time the provision allowing private companies to provide notification of judicial action, arguing that the law is skewed towards benefitting “certain parties”.

The joint session will be held according to Article 92 of the Constitution, which reads: “Should either House twice reject any draft law and the other accept it, whether or not amended, both the Senate and the Chamber shall hold a joint meeting under the chairmanship of the speaker of the Senate to discuss the matters in dispute.”

The Upper House, during its session, made amendments to the draft of the Judicial Independence Law 2019, referring it to the Lower House again, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The Senate’s modifications link the Judicial Institute of Jordan with the president of the Judicial Council, rather than the justice minister, as is currently in force. MPs last week rejected the amendments to the draft of the Judicial Independence Law 2019, insisting on maintaining the institute’s dependency on the justice minister.

The Senators also endorsed amendments to the Standards and Metrology Law, which allow reexporting goods that do not conform to Jordanian standards to any country without returning the merchandise to the country of origin.

The amendments necessitate importers to reexport within 90 days of the date of issuing the final results of laboratory tests, banning importers from displaying, selling, lending or distributing the products, even if the distribution is free of charge.

AMMAN — The International Medical Tourism Conference kicked off in Amman on Sunday with the presence of local and foreign interested parties.

Inaugurated by Minister of Health Saad Jaber on behalf of Prime Minister Omar Razzaz, the conference discussed the steps that the government is taking to enhance the future of medical tourism in Jordan as well as potential investment opportunities.

The health minister said during his address said that Jordan has “unique talents, adequate doctors and excellent medical facilities to accommodate both local and foreign patients”.

He added, “many of our hospitals have obtained international certification for their services, which is a clear indication of the great quality of medical treatments being provided.”

It was pointed out by Jordan Tourism Board General Manager Abdul Razzaq Arabiyat that more than 34,400 foreign in-hospital patients have visited the Kingdom so far this year to receive medical assistance.

It was agreed on by experts, however, that the number of patients being treated at private spas and other institutes is three to four times that number.

The conference was also a chance to announce some of the new services launched by the government for foreign medical tourists  such as a special booth at the Queen Alia International Airport exclusively designed to guide medical tourists upon arriving in the Kingdom.

Another service is a hotline that tourists can call in case they encounter a problem or feel that they are being overcharged for a service, upon which they will be assisted by a trained employee.

Also at the conference, an exhibit of different renowned Jordanian medical institutes such as the King Hussein Cancer Centre and others displayed their services and achievements for international guests. 

AMMAN — Despite continuous funding constraints, the United Nations Children’s Fund’s (UNICEF) Hajati programme has enough funding to help its 10,000 beneficiaries attend school for the upcoming academic year until March 2020, at which point the organisation is in need of funds to help its beneficiaries to complete the school year, according to UNICEF. 

“The programme is still running with continuous funding constraints,” chief of social protection and policy at UNICEF Jordan, Manuel Rodriguez Pumarol, told The Jordan Times in an e-mail on Monday. 

While the number of vulnerable children eligible for the programme is greater than 55,000, the programme is currently only able to provide aid for 10,000, due to funding constraints, according to Pumarol. 

In an attempt to increase the number of vulnerable children of all nationalities enrolled in school, as well as simultaneously reducing the number that drop out, the programme provides cash transfers to beneficiaries of JD20 per child each month, connects the children with education services and provides home visits and case management activities, according to Pumarol.

The programme provides aid to children between the ages of six and 15. Those children not enrolled in the programme have a 16 per cent higher probability of not attending school, according to UNICEF data. 

Covering the most vulnerable children in 160 double-shift schools, those who do not benefit from the programme are 44 per cent more likely to engage in hazardous economic activities, as well as being 34 per cent more likely to go to bed hungry at night, according to statistics provided by UNICEF.

AMMAN — Her Majesty Queen Rania visited the “Live Your Dream” annual carnival on Monday to learn about the organisers’ efforts in guiding students towards a suitable university major.

The carnival is held by the Eye on the Future voluntary initiative at the King Hussein Parks in Amman, according to a statement from Her Majesty’s office.

At the event, Her Majesty was welcomed by the founder of Eye on the Future, Malek Abu Ghanimeh, who showed her around and explained the work of the initiative in support of prospective university students.

Launched in 2011, Eye on the Future is an initiative which aims to help Jordanian students pursue a college degree that is in line with their skills and ambitions. 

Since its inception, Eye on the Future has been organising a yearly carnival, “Live Your Dream”, to introduce high school students to different academic disciplines taught at Jordanian universities, the statement said.

The carnival hosts booths and stations introducing academic majors to students and parents, with the participation of universities, training centres, sponsors, partners and other participating organisations.

Sponsored by several local ministries and private companies, the carnival attracts thousands of students and their families each year, according to the statement.

AMMAN — Road accidents caused 571 deaths in Jordan in 2018, 221 of which were pedestrian, the Sisterhood is Global Institute (SIGI) Jordan said on Monday.

SIGI demanded safe passageways for pedestrians, in addition to amending traffic regulations and imposing harsher penalties on violators, whether drivers or pedestrians.

Pedestrian deaths comprise 38 per cent of those caused by traffic accidents around the world, SIGI said in a report, citing the Global Status Report on Road Safety 2018, conducted by the World Health Organisation (WHO). 

The 2018 WHO report revealed that road accidents are the top cause of death for children between the ages of 5 and 14, as well as adults between the ages of 15 and 29, SIGI reported, adding that the world witnesses 1.35 million deaths annually because of road accidents, with one death occurring every 24 seconds. 

Male and female pedestrian victims of road accidents comprise a quarter of road accident deaths around the world. According to SIGI’s report, made available to The Jordan Times, most cases of pedestrian deaths happen in low to medium-income countries for reasons including bad infrastructure, a lack of safe and proper sidewalks and lack of awareness. 

In 2018, 571 deaths occurred due to road accidents in Jordan, compared to 685 deaths in 2017, with a decrease of 16.6 per cent, according to the annual report on road accidents in Jordan in 2018, which was issued by the Public Security Department (PSD), SIGI reported. 

The PSD report said that in 2018, 38.7 per cent of road accident deaths were of pedestrians (221 deaths), 24.7 per cent were of drivers (141 deaths) while 36.6 per cent were of passengers (209 deaths).

In the statement, SIGI commended the efforts of the PSD and the national and civil institutions that contributed to saving lives through their road safety measures. 

The number of vehicles registered in Jordan until the end of 2018 stood at 1,637,981; an average of one vehicle per six people, SIGI reported, noting the population has reached 10.309 million. 

In Jordan, a road accident occurs every 50.4 minutes, while a run-over accident occurs every 2.5 hours, and a person is injured every 32.4 minutes, whereas at least one death occurs in a road accident every 15.3 hours, according to the institute. 

Collision accidents caused 288 deaths, while run-over accidents caused 195 deaths, and rollover accidents caused 88 deaths, SIGI reported, noting that the total injuries resulting from car accidents were 16,203, of which 1,102 were critical.

The estimated financial losses incurred by those accidents amounted to around JD313 million, SIGI reported, adding that Jordan loses more than JD857,000 daily due to road accidents. 

The human factor (errors of drivers and pedestrians) was the main cause of road accidents, at a rate of 98 per cent, while accidents occurring due to vehicle problems reached only 1.3 per cent and accidents due to the road itself, 0.7 per cent, according to SIGI. 

The most common mistakes that led to having an accident and death were poor preparation and safety measures (37.9 per cent with 170 deaths) and driving in the wrong direction of a lane (36.1 per cent with 162 deaths), according to SIGI. 

The constant violations on sidewalks by shop owners and sidewalk vendors, in addition to the lack of safe passages to cross streets or enough pedestrian bridges, contribute to run-over accidents resulting in death, especially among children, which, SIGI says, could be avoided or decreased. 

Protecting people’s lives is the responsibility of all society segments as well as governmental and non-governmental entities, SIGI said.