Cabinet approves public-private partnership projects bill

AMMAN — The Cabinet on Sunday, during a session chaired by Prime Minister Bisher Al Khasawneh, approved the public-private partnership projects bill for 2023.

In alignment with the Economic Modernisation Vision, the bill aims to create an investment environment conducive to building partnerships with the private sector in order to benefit from the private sector’s technological expertise in establishing infrastructure and public utilities projects, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The draft law also aims at providing and improving services and maximizing productivity in a bid to contribute to the Kingdom's economic growth and sustainable development.

It also aims to create an effective institutional framework and outline clear, simple and transparent procedures in accordance with the principles of good governance to select and implement projects.

Under the bill, the Ministry of Investment is the main reference for the management and bidding of partnership projects, in coordination with the relevant government agencies. A public-private partnership projects unit will be established under the ministry's umbrella.

Also on Sunday, the Cabinet approved an amended Administrative Regulation bylaw of the Jordan Integrity and Anti-Corruption Commission for 2023. The amended bylaw aims to enable the commission to perform its mandated tasks and duties by introducing new organisational units and abolishing others.

The Cabinet also approved a plan for the implementation of the national initiative to plant 10 million trees over a period of 10 years, as part of implementing the National Policy on Climate Change, and implementing the Global Framework for Biodiversity, Land Degradation Reduction and Combating Desertification for 2023-2030.

The Council of Ministers also approved recommendations from the Settlement and Reconciliation Committee to settle pending cases between 811 companies and taxpayers and the Income and Sales Tax Department.

The Cabinet also decided to appoint Ayman Daraiseh as member of the board of commissioners of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission.