Local

AMMAN — The number of Internet users in Jordan, including those using third and fourth generation mobile technologies, rose to 6.3 million in the third quarter of 2015 from 6.2 million in the second quarter, according to figures released by the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) this week.

Also on the rise was the number of Internet subscriptions in the Kingdom, which reached 2.038 million at the end of September compared to 2.029 million at the end of June.

The TRC figures indicate that the number of subscribers for mobile broadband, which is provided by third and fourth generation technologies, reached 1.706 million at the end of September compared to 1.682 million at the end of June.

The number of ADSL users fell to 221,829, from 223,435 at the end of June.

WiMax subscribers numbered 100,301 at the end of September 2015.

The TRC figures showed that mobile penetration reached 159 per cent at the end of September, with some 13.1 million active mobile subscriptions.

Recent figures from the ICT Ministry indicated that about 70 per cent of mobiles used in Jordan are smartphones.

Conversely, the use of landlines in the country is declining, the TRC figures indicated, with subscriptions dropping to 372,689 at the end of September, equating to a penetration rate of 4.4 per cent compared to 4.6 per cent at the end of June.

AMMAN — People interested in taking up a job in construction or receiving vocational training in the water and energy sectors can now benefit from a new website that provides information about what they are looking for.

The German Development Cooperation (GIZ), in cooperation with the Water Ministry, launched on Thursday the first phase of the website www.benaa.org.jo as part of the ministry's TWEED project.

TWEED, Training for Water and Energy Efficiency Development, is a project GIZ is implementing on behalf of the ministry and the German federal ministry of economic cooperation and development to promote a more efficient use of water and energy in the construction sector.

Other project partners include the Vocational Training Corporation (VTC), Balqa Applied University (BAU), the German-Jordanian University (GJU) and the Jordanian Construction Contractors Association (JCCA), which hosted the launch ceremony at its premises.

JCCA President Wael Toukan praised GIZ's efforts in launching the platform, which was financed by the German government, highlighting its significance in saving time in finding good candidates for jobs, lowering employment costs and achieving wider popularity for companies.

The website will contribute to bringing together all stakeholders in the construction sector to unify their efforts in improving the efficiency of employees and add value to the national economy, said Hani Khleifat, VTC assistant director general for institutions of excellence.

"The platform is important in connecting the VTC's training courses with the labour market, BAU and GJU to improve workers' skills in plumbing, central heating, heating and cooling and solar energy in the electromechanical sector," Khleifat noted.

Mohammad Badran, TWEED team leader, highlighted the main features of the new website which features sections on jobs, vocational training and contractors.

"The website is aimed at helping match labour market needs with supply," Badran said, noting that the developing team conducted a study tour in Germany before starting work on the platform to decide on the best features it should offer.

Job seekers can look for vacancies in the sectors offered under the jobs section, while the vocational training section provides information on centres and courses available, he explained, adding that the contractors section is specialised in looking for employees and contractors.

AMMAN — The Ministry of Labour plans to use iris recognition technology to register guest workers, the ministry’s secretary general, Hamadah Abu Nijmeh, said on Thursday.

“This method is the same one used at the airport. It takes seconds and the iris image is saved to the database of foreign workers in the Kingdom. It is checked when the worker enters and leaves the country,” Abu Nijmeh told The Jordan Times.

“The new system, which will be adopted in three to four months' time, will help the ministry limit violations and the number of illegal workers,” he said, adding that iris recognition is a faster, more efficient and civilised method to record biometric information.

There was no information available on the expected cost of the project. 

Guest workers are given 45 days to register and obtain work permits: if they do not complete the process, they are considered illegal, Abu Nijmeh explained. 

Iris recognition will be a procedure during the registration process, the official noted, stressing that the system will not be used when guest workers enter the Kingdom.

Guest workers usually enter the country with a signed contract from their governments, which the ministry uses as a basis for their employment in different sectors, he said.

“Around 330,000 workers are listed under the foreign labour category, where 65 per cent of them are Egyptians, followed by Bangladeshis, Syrians, Sri Lankans, Filipinos, and other Asian nationalities,” Abu Nijmeh added.

Most illegal foreign workers are Egyptian or Syrian, according the ministry official. 

He noted that before the Syrian crises started, there were between 5,000 and 7,000 Syrian workers in Jordan, but the number increased significantly after that.

“Currently, an estimated 300,000 workers in the country are illegal,” he said.

AMMAN – Prices of agricultural produce are expected to drop "drastically" in the coming weeks amid fears of "price manipulation" by retailers, according to sector insiders.

After surviving heatwaves in summer and a frost spell last month, which had resulted in an "unreasonable" surge in prices, local production of vegetables and fruit is poised to increase, especially since the Jordan Valley, the Kingdom's main agricultural region, has started to introduce its crops into the market.

"All world markets are waiting for Jordan Valley produce. The area's supply to the local market is high, which would also suggest a good export movement," Agriculture Ministry Spokesperson Nimer Haddadin said.

Although the main regional markets are closed to local agricultural produce, particularly Iraq and Syria, Jordan is eyeing other destinations.

"The Gulf states and European countries are waiting for Jordan Valley produce. Our tomatoes, for example, are sold in the Russian market for $10 per kilogramme," Haddadin added.

The "warm" weather conditions the Kingdom has been experiencing recently have made up for losses incurred by the sector.

"The prices of basic vegetables have started to go down after rising to unprecedented levels. The price of one kilo of tomatoes had reached JD1, but now it is between JD0.25 and JD0.35," said Abdul Majeed Odwan, executive director of markets at the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM).

He attributed the hike in prices to the frost and delay in Jordan Valley production.

However, Odwan warned against price manipulation by retail traders, noting that there is a "gap" between wholesale and retail prices.

"This requires an intervention from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Supply," he told The Jordan Times.

According to GAM, the prices of tomatoes now stand at around JD0.35 per kilo, cauliflower at JD0.50 per kilo and aubergines at JD0.40 per kilo.

Jordanian Farmers Union Director General Mahmoud Ouran agreed, saying that some retailers make use of the winter season to "play with prices".

"The government should monitor the prices," he said.

On the other hand, Jordan Valley Farmers Union President Adnan Khaddam complained about the "disregard" for farmers and the losses they incur due to weather conditions.

"This should be the time for a nationwide conference that addresses farmers' issues. We need the country's support for this vital sector," Khaddam said, adding that the closure of the Iraq and Syria markets has deepened the losses of local farmers.

AMMAN — A newly proposed amendment to the Universities Law that allows universities to borrow from external sources is stirring debate among stakeholders.

The proposed amendment would allow public universities to borrow money from abroad after receiving the Cabinet's approval.

University of Jordan (UJ) President Ekhleif Tarawneh said the move would facilitate foreign technical assistance to universities, funding research projects and developing infrastructure, adding that the step will not influence institutional autonomy.

He said current regulations allow public universities to receive grants and assistance from abroad, explaining that the suggested "loans" would facilitate the process of aid applications for them.

Tarawneh said the proposed measure will enhance universities' financial and administrative independence, a "key" move to boost the international competitiveness of local universities.

"UJ will not consider external borrowing as a priority within its plan for the next five years," as local banks are able to respond to the needs of the university, he told The Jordan Times Thursday.

The UJ president called on the government to exempt universities from taxes and customs duties on equipment and vehicles.

On the other hand, Fakher Daas, the coordinator of the National Campaign for Defending Students’ Rights' (Thabahtoona), charged that the move emphasises the government's intentions to "privatise" public universities.

By doing so, he explained, the government will not be responsible if universities go bankrupt or face financial challenges.

"Creditors will definitely increase tuition fees and may try to control educational policies in a manner that does not fit into national educational strategies," Daas told The Jordan Times.  

He added that such a move will "negatively" affect the quality of universities' educational output, by only allowing well-off students to study at universities, not the competent ones.

AMMAN — The government has extended, for the second time, the deadline to receive bids to implement the Green Corridor project, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, quoted Energy Minister Ibrahim Saif as saying on Thursday.

The $159.7 million project aims at increasing the national grid's capacity to absorb the loads generated by new renewable energy projects, Saif told Petra.

He said the deadline has been extended for two weeks starting Thursday and might be prolonged until the end of January in response to a request from the concerned companies. 

The project, to be established in the southern region, is a priority scheme for the sector, and will support the National Electric Power Company (NEPCO), according to Saif.

The project is aimed at enhancing the efficiency of the national grid through building a substation in northern Maan, extending power cables and expanding the Qatraneh and Queen Alia International Airport stations.
Moreover, the project is in line with the national strategy aimed at increasing the contribution of renewable energy resources to the total energy mix to 10 per cent by 2020.

The European Investment Bank extended a $72 million loan to finance the Green Corridor project, while the French Development Agency provided a $54.9 million soft loan and NEPCO contributed $12.6 million, in addition to an EU grant of $20.2 million offered under the Neighbourhood Investment Facility.

Government-owned NEPCO is the party responsible for the tender and its implementation, according to Petra.

AMMAN — Deputising for His Majesty King Abdullah, Tourism Minister Nayef Al Fayez on Thursday attended the midnight mass at the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem marking Christmas according to the Orthodox calendar, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Fayez conveyed the King’s best wishes to Christians in Palestine on the occasion. After the ceremony, Fayez and Public Works Minister Sami Halaseh, who also attended the mass, met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. 

AMMAN — The Kingdom’s northern borders are secure, Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour said Wednesday.

The premier made the remarks at a meeting organised by the Lower House-based “Mubadara” group with some ministers, hosted at MP Yousef Qorneh’s residence, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The group’s spokesperson, MP Faisal Awar, said the meeting covered several topics within Mubadara’s programme to engage the executive authority.

Replying to a question by Qorneh, Ensour said the government is currently studying the best way for the Decentralisation Law to play an important role in economic development and identifying priorities for governorate development, Petra added.

AMMAN — Twenty-one people were injured on Thursday after a bus collided with a minibus near Duleil Square, according to the media office of the Civil Defence Department (CDD). 

CDD rescue teams administered first aid and took the injured to Prince Hashem Military Hospital and Zarqa Public Hospital. One of the injured was listed in critical condition while the condition of the others was reported as fair.

AMMAN — Criminal Investigation Department (CID) personnel last week implemented several raids in the Kingdom, according to a Public Security statement released Thursday.

In the raids, CID personnel arrested 956 wanted suspects and retrieved 35 stolen vehicles.