‘Gov’t working to resolve issues at Aqaba Container Terminal’

AMMAN — Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour on Sunday reiterated the government’s commitment to finding permanent solutions to the problems in handling containers at the Aqaba terminal as soon as possible.

The premier held a meeting at the Prime Ministry attended by oversight and inspection entities tasked with checking on containers in the port city, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Representatives of the Jordan Customs Department, Jordan Food and Drug Administration (JFDA), Jordan Standards and Metrology Organisation (JSMO) and the Aqaba Customs Commission attended the meeting and briefed the premier on the reasons behind the slower handling procedures at the Aqaba Container Terminal (ACT).

Ensour tasked Transport Minister Lina Shbeeb with holding a meeting in Aqaba on Monday to check on the work progress at ACT in the presence of representatives of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), the company and other stakeholders.

He also requested a report on work progress, obstacles and recommendations to take any other measures that can help address the problem, Petra reported.

The Cabinet dedicated its Saturday meeting to discussing issues related to the company managing handling at the terminal.

The company is accused of slow processing of cargo and, consequently, causing losses for local businesses.

The government directed ASEZA, in coordination with other stakeholders, to hire a firm to serve as a neutral third party and assess ACT’s performance and compliance with the terms and conditions included in its contract with the Aqaba authority, and report its findings.

On Sunday, Jamal Abdel Mawla, representative of the constructions and building materials sector at the Jordan Chamber of Commerce, called on importers to estimate the losses they incurred from delays at the terminal in order to file lawsuits against involved parties.

Abdel Mawla said many importers lost their contracts, noting that most of their imports belong to construction companies, hospitals and spas, according to Petra.

Commercial associations and representatives of the chambers of industry and trade on Sunday blamed ACT’s administration for the crisis in the terminal.

Participants at the meeting said there are around 3,500 containers waiting for their transactions to be completed, and around 1,400 trucks are waiting their turn to be loaded.

They also highlighted that the daily loss for the national economy is estimated at around JD1.5 million due to the delays, Petra reported.

ASEZA Chief Commissioner Hani Mulki on Sunday stressed the importance of uniting efforts among concerned parties to improve the handling containers and delivering them to their destinations as fast as possible.

At a meeting with heads of the Aqaba Customs Department, JSMO, JFDA, Aqaba Development Company and ACT, Mulki said trading accusations harms the credibility of the economy, and ACT’s ability to face pressure and enhance its competitiveness at the regional level, according to Petra.