Local

- Gov't endorses digital transformation, flexible work measures

-  Phosphate mining concessions, green hydrogen investments approved 

- Jordan secures 31 million euro Dutch grant for National Carrier Project

AMMAN — The Cabinet on Tuesday, in a session chaired by Prime Minister Jafar Hassan, approved a series of legislative, economic, and administrative decisions aimed at boosting economic growth, attracting investment, and improving public administration.

Minister of Government Communications and Government spokesperson Mohammad Momani outlined the measures in a press conference at the Prime Ministry, emphasising reforms, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

The Cabinet approved a draft amendment to the 2025 Property Law, aimed at streamlining property procedures, regulating expropriation and compensation, and ensuring fairness in dispute resolution. 

The Council of Ministers also endorsed amendments to the 2025 Groundwater Monitoring Bylaw to regulate unlicensed wells and promote sustainable water extraction.

The rationale for amending the 2025 Work Permit Fees Regulation for non-Jordanians was approved, aiming to ease the financial burden on employers, enhance compliance with labour laws and introduce structured fee adjustments.

To address prison overcrowding, the government advanced amendments to the 2025 Penal Code, focusing on alternative sentencing and rehabilitative justice.

In a move to encourage industrial development, the Cabinet reduced land prices in Hussein Industrial City in Karak and Tafileh Industrial City from JD25 per square metre to JD10, aiming to attract investors and create jobs.

The government also granted four phosphate mining concessions on state-owned land in Maan’s Shidiyeh and Abu Amoud Al Gharbi for 25 years.

Additionally, a memorandum of understanding was approved with China’s International Energy Group to invest in green hydrogen and its derivatives, reinforcing Jordan’s commitment to expanding clean energy.

To support businesses, the Cabinet resolved 730 tax disputes between companies and the Income and Sales Tax Department, providing relief and promoting financial compliance.

The Council of Ministers also endorsed the rationale for the 2025 Government Services Management and Development System, aimed at enhancing digital transformation and institutional efficiency. Measures included implementing flexible work arrangements, remote work options, and rotating shifts to optimise public service delivery.

The 2025 oversight and compliance bylaw was also enacted to strengthen administrative accountability and ensure adherence to legal frameworks.

As part of efforts to finance key projects, the government approved a 31 million euro grant agreement from the Dutch government for the Aqaba-Amman National Carrier Project. The initiative will desalinate 300 million cubic metres of seawater annually to address Jordan’s water shortage.

The Cabinet also allocated land in Aqaba’s Qreiqira region and Baqoura in northern Shuna for agricultural and food security projects, requiring investment activation within three years.

On education, the government approved the rationale for the 2025 regulation of the Royal Academy for Inclusive Education. It also endorsed a joint declaration with Germany ahead of the 2025 Global Disability Summit in Berlin, reaffirming Jordan’s commitment to disability rights and education reform.

Diplomatically, Jordan established relations with Timor-Leste and Grenada and ratified a development policy agreement with the World Bank. The agreement aims to strengthen economic competitiveness, facilitate SME participation in public procurement, and improve access to finance.

On regional issues, Momani reiterated Jordan’s firm opposition to the forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. He reaffirmed Jordan’s commitment to Palestinian statehood based on the June 4, 1967, borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

AMMAN — Minister of Justice Bassam Talhouni on Tuesday announced that proposed amendments to the Penal Code aim to ease prison overcrowding by expanding the use of alternative sentences. 

Talhouni highlighted that the Kingdom’s prison occupancy rate has reached 180 percent, underscoring the need for reform,  Al Mamlaka TV reported. 

Talhouni highlighted electronic monitoring bracelets as a key alternative, allowing authorities to track offenders remotely. He stressed that these measures would not apply to serious crimes but would facilitate social reconciliation between complainants and defendants within a broader framework of alternative sentencing.

The amendments would also allow offenders serving short sentences to pay a fine in exchange for early release, provided they have demonstrated good behavior during incarceration, he added.

The Cabinet has approved the rationale for the 2025 Penal Code amendment, paving the way for its submission to the Legislation and Opinion Bureau for further review and expedited issuance.

The draft law seeks to expand alternative sanctions, increase the number of beneficiaries, and align with restorative and rehabilitative justice principles. These measures aim to reintegrate offenders into society and reduce recidivism.

Additionally, the amendments introduce provisions for suspending sentence execution after final judgments and granting judges the authority to defer or allow installment payments of fines. These changes are designed to ease the burden on minor offenders and alleviate prison overcrowding.

AMMAN — Minister of Agriculture and Board of Directors of the Agricultural Credit Corporation (ACC) Khaled Hneifaton on Tuesday approved the launch of a "subsidised" loan programme for Jordan's agricultural entrepreneurs within the Agricultural Innovation and Entrepreneurship Incubator at the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC).

Hneifaton said that interest rates and profit margins would range between 2-2.25 percent, aimed at financing specific agricultural projects that rely on modern technology, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

The board also approved grant loans to farmers and agricultural companies to enhance post-harvest logistical services, mainly packaging and refrigeration processes, aimed at improving infrastructure and facilitating marketing and sales of agricultural products.

The board said these initiatives come within the framework of supporting agricultural investments and raising the sector's "efficiency," which would contribute to achieving "sustainable" development and enhancing food security.

Also on Tuesday, the ACC and Technical and Vocational Skill Development Commission (TVSDC)  signed a cooperation agreement, aimed at supporting and financing small and medium-sized agricultural and rural projects across the Kingdom's governorates.

The agreement aims to provide the "necessary" funding to establish agricultural and rural projects and provide financial support to job seekers and entrepreneurs to establish small and medium-sized projects in the Kingdom's agricultural and rural sectors, which would contribute to reducing poverty and unemployment.

Within the framework of the Economic Modernisation Vision, the agreement also features steps to encourage innovation and the introduction of modern technology in Jordan's agricultural sector by supporting innovative and entrepreneurial projects.

The ACC also said that the agreement focuses on integrating modern technology into agricultural activities, aimed at enhancing "efficiency and productivity of this vital sector."

AMMAN — Thirty imams and preachers working at the Awqaf Ministry and Iftaa departments in the army and security agencies have benefited from His Majesty King Abdullah’s makruma to help clerics intending to get married.

Royal Court Chief Yousef Issawi, who also heads the committee for following up on Royal initiatives, delivered the aid to this year’s beneficiaries during a ceremony held at King Hussein Bin Talal Mosque.

This royal initiative, which has benefited over 630 imams and preachers since its inception in 2003, is a testament to His Majesty’s appreciation for this vital group of citizens and their noble role in serving Islam, according to a Royal Court Statement.

It also reaffirms their mission of spreading Islam’s teachings, promoting its tolerant image, and reinforcing its moderate principles.

Issawi emphasised the King's deep commitment to supporting imams and preachers, enabling them to fulfill their duties in serving the houses of Allah and guiding society toward positive, virtuous behavior, while protecting youth from extremist ideologies.

He also highlighted the importance of imams’ and preachers’ roles in promoting moderation and balance, fostering a sense of community, and combating extremism and misinformation. Their religious and societal guidance, he noted, plays a crucial role in building a united, informed society.

Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Mohammad Khalayleh expressed his appreciation for this annual royal initiative, which supports imams and preachers about to marry from the Ministry of Awqaf, the armed forces, and security agencies.

AMMAN — The King Hussein Cancer Foundation (KHCF) and BioEnergyTech, Jordan's leading provider of high-quality nutritional supplements, on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to launch a year-long campaign to support underprivileged cancer patients.

Under the memo, the company will donate a share of its product sales to the foundation's budget, aimed at supporting cancer patients and promoting the KHCF's mission of cancer-based care and prevention.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, KHCF Director-General Nisreen Qatamesh said that the initiative represents an "important" step to provide healthcare to underprivileged patients and reflects BioEnergyTech's spirit of social responsibility.

BioEnergyTech General Manager Sami Kamal affirmed the "firm" stance in supporting the KHCF's mission, which reflects a "sincere" sense of supporting cancer cases.

Kamal said the company believes in the importance of collective action to make a "tangible" difference in the lives of individuals and families affected by the cancer challenge.

"The fight against this disease is at the forefront of societal issues that deserve all support," he said.

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a September 2023 State Security Court (SSC) ruling, sentencing a drug dealer to over three years in prison after convicting him of possessing illegal narcotics in Zarqa.

The court declared the defendant guilty of obtaining illegal narcotics with the intent of selling the drugs to an undercover officer on two different occasions in May 2022 and January 2023.

The SSC handed the defendant five years in prison for the offence of possessing illegal narcotics and ordered him to pay JD5,000 in fines.

However, the court decided to reduce the fine to JD3,500 and the prison term to three years and four months in prison to give the defendant a second chance in life.

Court documents said the Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) learnt the defendant was in possession of illegal narcotics and sent one of its agents to pose as a buyer.

“The AND agent got in touch with the defendant and asked him for four Captagon pills in return for JD8,” court documents said.

When the two met, the AND agent and the defendant completed the exchange and the latter left, court papers added.

The defendant remained under surveillance by law enforcement officers and was contacted again in January to deliver a small stash of Hashish in return for JD10, court transcripts added.

When the undercover officer and the defendant met, the court maintained, he was immediately arrested.

Upon searching his vehicle, the court added, AND officers found 31 Captagon pills.

The defendant contested the SSC’s ruling through his lawyer, who argued that the court “did not provide solid evidence to implicate his client”.

The lawyer argued that “the law-enforcement agencies committed several violations when arresting and interrogating my client”.

Meanwhile, the SSC prosecution office asked the higher court to uphold the sentence and the fine imposed on the defendant.

The higher court maintained that the SSC had followed the proper procedures in issuing the sentence against the defendant.

“It was clear to the court that the defendant confessed willingly to possessing the illegal drugs to sell in the local market,” the higher court said.

The Court of Cassation judges were Yassin Abdullat, Nayef Samarat, Mohammad Khashashneh, Qassem Dughmi and Hammad Ghzawi.

AMMAN — The Foreign Ministry on Tuesday condemned the Israeli strikes against Syria's Daraa province as a "blatant violation of the international law and of Syria's sovereignty."

Authorities in southern Syria reported that Israeli bombardment on Tuesday killed at least five people in Daraa province.

In a statement on Tuesday, the ministry described the Israeli attacks as "dangerous escalation" and warned they would increase tension in the region, reiterating the Kingdom’s support for Syria, its security, stability, and sovereignty.

Ministry's spokesperson Sufian Qudah reaffirmed the Kingdom's "rejection and condemnation of the ongoing Israeli attacks on Syria, which constitute a clear violation of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement between Israel and Syria.