Government pushes to simplify approvals for businesses

AMMAN — Simplifying and facilitating business procedures is a priority for the government, Industry, Trade and Supply Minister Maha Ali told secretary generals of ministries and directors of public institutions on Thursday.

She debated with senior officials the possibility of reducing the number of approvals needed for registering companies and sole proprietorships in order to remove all obstacles hindering the flow of investments.

In a statement to The Jordan Times, Ali was quoted as saying that about 360 economic activities were found to require approvals by 35 official entities, citing a review conducted by the ministry.

She said some of the approvals can be canceled in coordination with concerned institutions, stressing the need for revisiting some of the relevant investment-related laws, according to the statement.

The meeting recommended adopting the fourth revision of the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC, Rev.4) for registering and licensing businesses in the Kingdom starting January 2016.

The meeting also recommended the possibility of linking the approvals of multiple issuing agencies electronically to the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply in addition to accrediting e-mails to exchange approvals, the statement said.

 In the quest to attract more investments to Jordan, His Majesty King Abdullah has stressed the importance of simplifying bureaucratic and administrative measures.