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AMMAN — Deputising for HRH Princess Muna, president of the Jordanian Nursing Council, Health Minister Ali Hiasat on Wednesday attended the international scientific conference of the Zarqa University’s nursing faculty.

In the event, dubbed “Developing nursing care through clinical practises based on scientific evidence”, Hiasat said that nursing is a “noble human service” that needs development through adopting specialised nursing and care in different medical departments, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Zarqa University President Mahmoud Wadi said the conference seeks to improve scientific interaction in nursing sciences at the national and regional levels, Petra added.

AMMAN — HRH Princess Muna on Wednesday attended the ceremony of the World Health Day 2016 held under the title, “Beat diabetes”. Ali Hiyasat, health minister, gave a speech saying that communicable diseases in Jordan, which used to be fatal, have been controlled, adding that the problem is now with chronic diseases which are the result of the change in people’s lifestyle.

On its website, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said that the number of people living with diabetes has nearly quadrupled since 1980 to 422 million adults, with most living in developing countries. WHO is marking World Health Day, 7 April, by calling for action on diabetes. In its first “Global report on diabetes”, WHO highlights the need to step up prevention and treatment of the disease.

AMMAN — Around 27 University of Jordan (UJ) protesters on Tuesday were referred to the university administration for violating orders issued by the university administration earlier this week, a UJ official said.

As the sit-in at UJ continues to demand the reversal of a decision to raise tuition fees for the parallel and post-graduate programmes, the university’s council of deans banned protesters from staying on campus after the university gates are closed at midnight.

The university’s deanship of student affairs announced they are starting an investigation to further question students who stayed overnight on campus after the administration issued the new ban.

However, many students continued their sit-in and stayed on campus after midnight, which the university administration described as “irresponsible” and “chaotic”.

Ahmad Mustafa, one of the protesters, said the student union disapproves of the decision announced by the university’s deanship of student affairs.

Protesters said they were allowed to continue their protest and said the former president had assured them that no measures would be taken against them as long as the protest is peaceful.

“Many pledges were made by the board of trustees and the House Educational not to refer any student to an investigation,” said a fourth year student, who preferred anonymity.

Mustafa added that the demands of protesters are “legitimate”, adding that the students organised “peaceful” protests over the past month. 

The protest was suspended on March 18 in response to a decision by the board of trustees and the Higher Education Council, which agreed to gradually scrap the hike on tuition fees, but it was resumed when officials failed to response to students’ demand of a detailed time frame for the implementation of the decision.

The raise on tuition fees was slashed by half in the most recent board of trustees’ meeting and students were promised to be provided with a schedule of the remaining percentage around two weeks ago.

In previous remarks to The Jordan Times, Azmi Mahafza, who is the university’s caretaker president, said the university’s administration issued the decision to ban students from staying overnight on campus, for “safety reasons” and that students are allowed to protest during the working hours, which end when the library closes at midnight. 

On Tuesday, the UJ media office issued a statement saying that two “drunken students” entered the campus after midnight Monday to stay overnight. The security arrested them and referred them to a nearby police station. 

The students union called upon students from all faculties at the university to join the rally on Tuesday in front of the administration building during evening hours, according to protesters.

AMMAN — Leading regional and global executives and IT experts started on Monday the 2nd Electronic & Mobile Payments in the Arab World Conference, which was inaugurated by HRH Princess Sumaya Bint El Hassan, the president of the Royal Scientific Society and chairman of the board of trustees for Princess Sumaya University for Technology. 

During her keynote speech, Princess Sumaya said the meeting comes as “access to services and inclusion in every aspect of economic activity shift from the age-old methods of physical wealth and tangible capital, to a virtual ecosystem in which all must be given equal access to economic life and prosperous opportunity”.

“The countless ways in which electronic and mobile payment systems may make life better for all in our society, including financial services such as credit, savings, insurance and payments, and remittance facilities. More than that, they offer economic and social enfranchisement opportunities that are sorely needed and long-deserved,” she was quoted as saying in a statement by organisers.

Faisal Hakki, the general manager of Arab Advisors Group, said the conference was looking at the role of banks, payment networks, regulators and telecoms, and how these are shaping the different ways payments are being fulfilled electronically and using handheld devices.

The significance of well-structured, accessible and affordable payment systems cannot be overstated, he said.

AMMAN – The government has decided to allow the entry of tourists from restricted nationalities according to certain conditions, but travel agents cried foul due to “unreasonable” requirement set. 

At a meeting on Tuesday, Interior Minister Salameh Hammad said tourism agencies that wish to bring tourist holders of restricted nationalities should provide a JD50,000 bank guarantee and deposit the amount in the names of interior and tourism ministers. 

“This is totally unworkable and unfair. The country is witnessing a disastrous decline in tourism and all these decisions are contributing to making it worse ,” said Shaher Hamdan, the president of the Jordan Society of Tourism and Travel Agents.

He added: “Instead of facilitating the entry of tourists from around the world to revive the tourism sector, more restrictions are being imposed.”

“Travel and tourism operators are suffering now and few can afford a JD50,000 bank guarantee. Many are struggling to pay employees’ salaries,” Hamdan told The Jordan Times, noting that there are currently 200 travel agencies in Jordan. 

He noted that restricted nationalities include Iran, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Yemen and Libya. 

The interior minister, on the other hand, underlined the importance of streamlining the sector, saying that there are imbalances that should be addressed. 

“Some tourists come to the country and do not leave. They stay for work,” the minister said, adding that stricter security measures should be in place to ensure they leave after the end of their visit. 

“Tourism agencies should live up to their responsibilities in ensuring that tourists of restricted nationalities leave the country,” said Hammad. 

He called for enhancing cooperation between concerned ministries and tourism agencies to set the guidelines for the industry.

Hamdan said the idea of providing bank guarantees is not “feasible” and “will not be fruitful whatsoever”. 

“We will hold a meeting next week to voice our frustration with the new decision, which was taken without our consultation ,” he announced.

AMMAN — Gas Stations Owners Association (GSOA) President Nahar Seidat has demanded the government to increase commission for the fuel sector by 7 fils per litre while taking into consideration the inflation ratio. 

Energy Minister Ibrahim Saif sent an official letter to Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour, asking for a 3 fils per litre increase to the stations’ commission but Ensour said the increase should be only 1 fils per litre, which “the GSOA rejected”, Seidat told The Jordan Times over the phone on Tuesday. 

“The commission must be increased by at least 7 fils per litre to meet the demands of the association, its general assembly and the sector”, Seidat said, adding that the GSOA understands the pressure of regional conditions and wants the demands to be met without having to resort to escalatory measures.

Negotiations are ongoing with the Energy Ministry to conduct a study that identifies the exact amount of a fair increase in the commission. 

Officials at the Energy Ministry were not available to comment on the issue despite several attempts by The Jordan Times. 

The current commission is 12 fils per litre, and in 2012 a decision was made to increase it to 15 fils per litre but stations were required to provide bank guarantees worth JD4,000-5,000, a bank commission and monetary insurance, according to Seidat, who added that that increase was not helpful.

The liberation of the oil derivatives market and the entry of big companies helped showcase an advanced model for gas stations, Seidat said, adding that old stations that could not cope with the new changes were negatively affected. 

Moreover, the cost to improve and update one gas station is around JD100,000 which is “a burden” to be paid by the distribution companies and station owners, the GSOA president said, noting that the development of stations is needed in order to compete in the market. 

If the commission rate is increased, there are plans to attract more Jordanian workers to increase their number compared to guest workers, he said. 

The volume of investment in the fuel sector amounts to JD700 million, JD500 million of which is in  fuel stations and the rest in gas cylinder shops, adding that the overall daily operating capital for fuel stations amounts to JD7 million and JD500,000 for gas shops.

Seidat was recently elected as president of the GSOA, whose members are around 1,200. 

AMMAN — Fortifying and securing the country from any threat starts from the family, which is the core component of society, Interior Minister Salameh Hammad said on Tuesday.

The minister made these remarks at a coordination meeting with Awqaf Minister Hayel Dawood, Social Development Minister Reem Abu Hassan, Health Minister Ali Hiasat and Public Security Department (PSD) Director Maj. Gen. Atef Saudi to discuss public-private institutions’ partnership aimed at supporting family care and protection.

At the event, held at the PSD’s Family Protection Administration, Dawood said that Islam came with rules that protect the family and empower it to play an effective role in the nation’s development, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

AMMAN — Border Guards received 406 Syrian refugees over the previous 24 hours and transferred them to shelters and camps, the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army said on Tuesday.

Royal Medical Service personnel treated the injured, according to a statement by the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

AMMAN — Four people were injured on Tuesday in a two-vehicle collision in Mutah area, according to a Civil Defence Department (CDD) statement.

Karak CDD teams administered first aid to the injured and rushed them to Karak Public Hospital where they were listed in fair condition.

Two people were also injured in a collision in Ruseifa, where CDD medics dealt with the incident. 

AMMAN — Criminal Investigation Department (CID) personnel and Royal Badia Forces have arrested a suspect for allegedly murdering a victim over a financial dispute, a Public Security Department (PSD) statement said Tuesday.

On Sunday, the Badia police received a report saying that there was a body in the northern Badia area.

Agents arrived at the scene accompanied by the prosecutor general and a forensic doctor who examined the body, which appeared to belong to a man in his 40s. He was found with a bullet hole in the head. Investigation led to a wanted suspect who was arrested and the murder weapon was found with him, the PSD statement said.