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AMMAN — A recent decision to increase irrigation water for date palms and grape vines will encourage a shift from vegetables to high-value fruit trees in the Jordan Valley, sector leaders said on Monday. 

While date palm plantations and vineyards require much less water compared to vegetables, they are also considered high-value crops both locally and internationally, the experts said. 

Farmers, they added, need to move away from conventional water-intensive crops and capitalise on drought-tolerant cultivations that are internationally competitive.

Water Minister Hazem Nasser announced on Sunday that the Jordan Valley Authority (JVA) was increasing its water allocations for the irrigation of these crops in the Jordan Valley to expand the terrain planted with them and to allow farmers to compete locally and internationally.

"This is a good decision which will encourage farmers here [the Jordan Valley] to shift their focus from planting only vegetables to date palm and grape vines, which are on high demand internationally and generate better profit," Jordan Valley Farmers Union President Adnan Khaddam told The Jordan Times.

Palm trees and vineyards are a relatively new agricultural trend in the Jordan Valley, Nasser said in a statement e-mailed to The Jordan Times, calling on farmers to expand planting such crops that generate income and support the national economy.

"The JVA has completed work on irrigation networks and canals," the minister said.

Over the past decade, a total of 29,000 date palm trees were planted in the Jordan Valley, according to Khaddam, who noted that there are also 15,000 dunums in the Jordan Valley planted with grape vines.

The Jordan Farmers Union said in a statement that the decision is a "daring" move that will significantly develop agriculture in the Jordan Valley and steer farmers towards cultivations that support the economy.   

Agriculture Ministry Spokesperson Nimer Haddadin said the two crops are both "promising cultivations" in Jordan.

"Grapes in the Jordan Valley ripen by May, while worldwide they are produced in July. Jordanian date palms are of very high quality and are demanded internationally," Haddadin told The Jordan Times.

The official underscored that both crops are economically feasible, urging farmers to plant crops that are high-value and drought-tolerant.

The agriculture sector, which consumes 456 million cubic metres of water per year, contributes JD1 billion annually to the Kingdom’s gross domestic product, according to experts and officials, who said that shifting to drought-tolerant crops that generate higher profits and carrying out maintenance to irrigation networks and pumps is a priority in the Jordan Valley.

AMMAN — The Social Security Corporation (SSC) on Monday launched a five-year training strategy for its employees, aiming to develop performance and enhance its competitiveness.

Under the 2016-2020 training strategy, all of the corporation’s 1,340 employees, who are classified into three professional categories, will undergo a set of professional and technical training sessions based on their job requirements, said SSC Media Director Musa Sbeihi.

Speaking to the press, he said the corporation’s previous training plans were annual but unsystematic, noting that the expansion in the number of subscribers, retirees and beneficiaries entails  further development of the capacities of SSC employees to rise up to the demand.

The new “talent-based” training strategy is in harmony with best international practices in human resources management.

The strategy will include developing an online portal that employees can log on to take online courses, Sbeihi said, and annual training evaluations will take place to gauge the efficiency of the strategy and its impact on performance. 

The courses include strategic planning, quality management, corporate performance evaluation, information technology, communication skills, report writing and professional safety measures, in addition to a wide array of topics related to insurance and social security.

In 2014, the corporation’s training budget was limited to 0.1 per cent of the sum of salaries and incentives, while international rates are between 1 and 5 per cent, according to Sbeihi. 

In the same year, the average spending on training for each SSC employee reached JD81, while the international average is between $800 and $1,300 (almost JD570 to JD920), he added.

SSC Planning Consultant Samir Mifleh, who supervised the planning of the strategy, said the corporation’s training unit has provided two training courses for each SSC employee in 2014, noting that the SSC budget allocated around JD199,000 for training, only JD109,000 of which was used for this purpose.

He noted that the new strategy will consider the performance of employees in the courses in their annual evaluation, adding that staff members will have a training card that includes the courses they need to take over the upcoming 10 years, as means to ensure continuous learning and development.

For his part, Abed Rabbo Habashneh, HR manager, at the SSC, said the corporation’s employees will deliver technical courses, while managerial and administrative courses will be delivered by experts from external training centres that the SSC has partnered with.

He added that implementation of the strategy started earlier this year, including the processes of programme and employee, as well as pre- and post-training evaluations. 

AMMAN — Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour on Monday received a delegation of bank and investment fund managers from the US, and briefed them on the economic and political reforms in Jordan.

Jordan, thanks to its geographical location in the region and the security and stability it enjoys, constitutes an attraction point for local and foreign investments, Ensour said, referring to the Kingdom’s economic legislation that stimulates investments by offering various incentives.

The prime minister also acquainted the delegates with mega-projects Jordan is looking to implement, particularly the Red Sea-Dead Sea Water Conveyance Project, highlighting that there is an opportunity for interested US companies to take part in this strategic scheme, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The premier also reviewed the latest regional developments and the Syrian crisis’ repercussions on Jordan’s services, infrastructure and other main sectors such as education and health.

The Kingdom, he said, is working on becoming a model democratic state, in addition to enhancing public freedoms and the freedom of expression.

He also reiterated Jordan’s clear stance in fighting terrorism, noting that combating terror groups is the duty and responsibility of Arab and Muslim states with the help of other countries, not the other way around.

AMMAN — A group of people on Sunday burnt down a house in Ajloun Governorate’s Rasoun town “to avenge the death of a relative” in a murder committed last week, an official source said on Monday.

Public Security Department (PSD) Spokesperson Lt. Col. Amer Sartawi said the house’s residents were not present when the incident took place in Ajloun, some 70km northwest of Amman.

PSD and Criminal Investigation Department personnel have arrested a suspect in connection with the murder, Sartawi told The Jordan Times over the phone.

The victim, who was in his 40s and was found dead in a forest in Ajloun, had received multiple gunshot wounds in several parts of his body, which caused his death, according to the PSD.  

“After identifying the body of the victim, the suspect confessed to the murder, adding that an older relative of his helped him,” Sartawi said, noting that the suspect claimed to have had personal disputes with the victim.

“The two talked the victim into going with them to a forest in Rasoun, where the prime suspect shot him to death,” the official added. 

The two suspects then reportedly hid the weapon in the forest near the crime scene, the PSD spokesperson continued.

The prime suspect led police to the location of the concealed firearm, and search is under way for his accomplice, the PSD said.

The prime suspect was referred to the Criminal Court prosecutor. 

AMMAN — Royal Jordanian (RJ) said on Monday it has suspended its regular route between Amman and Ukraine’s capital, Kiev, effective of March 27, after eight years of operations that started in August 2008.

The airline said in a statement that the decision is in line with the five-year business plan it is executing. 

One of the pillars of the plan is network restructuring. 

Tourism and air transportation between Jordan and Ukraine lately saw a noticeable regression, affecting the feasibility of the route, the statement said.

RJ said its studies stations' performance to take the appropriate decision, either by increasing frequency, decreasing it, opening new markets or halting routes. 

Recently, the national carrier suspended routes to Delhi, Mumbai, Colombo, Lagos, Accra, Alexandria and Milano.

"The search is ongoing for more opportunities and new markets to broaden the route network, increase revenues and connect Jordan with more cities," RJ said. 

Last year and this year, the airline added five new destinations to its network — Tabuk, Najaf, Ankara, Jakarta and Guangzhou. 

A number of destinations are currently under study, the statement said.

"Today, RJ operates directly to 55 destinations spread over four continents, and reaches more than 1,000 cities onboard its 14 Oneworld partners with only one stop from Amman," the airline added.

AMMAN — HRH Prince Feisal on Monday received a US military delegation led by Colorado National Guard Commander Maj. Gen. Michael Edwards at the General Headquarters of the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army. Talks addressed military cooperation and a number of issues of common interest.

AMMAN — Foreign Ministry Secretary General Mohamed Tayseer Bani Yaseen and Czech Ambassador to Jordan Petr Hladik on Sunday signed an agreement exempting Jordanian diplomatic passport holders from visa requirements.

This agreement is in line with “the excellent bilateral relations” and it “the first important step” towards opening a Jordanian embassy in the Czech Republic, according to a statement released by the Czech embassy in Amman on Monday.

AMMAN — The health and public safety committee, Ajloun health directorate and the Rangers on Monday halted water pumping from Ein Iblin Spring as a precautionary measure after it was polluted with fuel, according to Ajloun health director Taysir Innab.

He said the joint team examined the spring and found the water polluted with diesel, adding that the contaminated water was pumped out.

Innab noted that halting the pumping of water is a temporary measure until the relevant institutions ensure the safety of the water and it is free of pollutants, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

AMMAN — A Royal Jordanian (RJ) plane on Monday heading from Amman to Chicago landed in Rome Airport to provide first aid to a women who suffered severe exhaustion and lost consciousness, according to a statement from the airline.

After consulting the doctor on board, the captain decided to land in Rome, where an ambulance took the woman to the nearest hospital.

She received first aid and essential medical treatment before the plane continued its trip after a two-hour delay, RJ said in a statement carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra.  

AMMAN — Lower House First Deputy Speaker Mustafa Amawi on Monday met with former US lawmakers Ann Marie Buerkle and David Skaggs to discuss parliamentary issues.

Amawi presented a briefing on Jordan’s achievements, especially regarding its role in dealing with Syrian refugees, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Buerkle and Skaggs stressed the importance of enhancing US support to help Jordan continue its humanitarian role in hosting refugees.

Also on Monday, MP Mousa Abu Sweilem, deputy chair of the Lower House integrity committee, met with Buerkle and Skaggs, and reviewed the House’s role in implementing anti-corruption laws.