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AMMAN — USAID and the Yarmouk Water Company on Monday inaugurated the revamped Sumaya Pump Station and adjoining water network in Mafraq, the according to a statement released by the agency.

The $4.6 million rehabilitation of Sumaya Pump Station, originally built in the 1960s, has expanded the water supply for more than 180,000 residents in the north by replacing outdated equipment with modern technology,
USAID said.

The installation of over 85 kilometres of new pipelines has made water more available to the villages of Mughayer Al Sarhan, Ribaa Al Sarhan, and Sama Al Sarhan areas.

These efforts have reduced water loss by 40 per cent, according to the statement.

“Residents of these areas have already begun to experience the impact of these improvements, with a full household water tank becoming a more common sight now than an empty one,” the statement quoted US Ambassador to Jordan Alice G. Wells as saying at the inauguration ceremony. 

“The repaired and modernised Sumaya Pump Station will make water more readily available for thousands of Jordanians and Syrians alike,” she added.

Water Minister Hazem Nasser thanked USAID for its contributions to the water sector, particularly in the wake of increased demand as Jordan hosts 629,000 registered Syrian refugees.

These activities fall under Community-Based Initiatives for Water Demand Management, a USAID-funded project implemented by Mercy Corps.

The programme aims to balance the demand for water within communities with the available supply provided by the Yarmouk Water Company.

AMMAN – The Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) is represented in a committee working to prepare a set of regulations to ensure the safety of crane usage in construction in Jordan, a GAM official said on Monday. 

Raed Haddadin, director of the building control department at GAM, said the capital started witnessing high-rise buildings in 2007.

“At the time the process was not organised. Following an incident that took place in Amman, all concerned parties decided to regulate this process to ensure the safety of residents,” Haddadin told the Jordan Times over the phone.

Earlier this month, a 12-metre-long crane collapsed in Amman’s Bayader area near a three-storey under-construction building, damaging four vehicles. No one was physically injured.

Haddadin noted that the regulations will stipulate that cranes should be tested for safety before being used in construction, adding that the committee also includes Civil Defence Department representatives.

“Many people who operate cranes are not properly qualified. Also, when a person wants to set up a crane, he/she must approach GAM to show that the location of the construction site is safe for work.”

He said there are more than 100 cranes in Amman, and one has been removed in east Amman for safety reasons. 

AMMAN — An international NGO is working with the public and private sectors within an ongoing campaign to empower women and highlight gender-based problems in the community and the media.

“Economically, we are empowering women in different fields in collaboration with local institutions, providing them with training sessions to help them build their own business ideas,” Salam Kanaan, country director at CARE International in Jordan, said.

CARE Jordan, which was founded in 1949 to meet the needs of the local community, said the campaign covers economic, social and political aspects.

Kanaan told The Jordan Times on the sidelines of a seminar held on Monday that CARE and other entities are working in Amman, Zarqa, Irbid and Mafraq. 

“In 2015, according to UN reports, only 12 per cent of women in Jordan were working in the labour market, which is a drop compared to the previous year, when 16 per cent of women were involved in the economy,” she said.

Dima Karadsheh, the gender adviser at CARE, said the organisation aims through its sessions and meetings with women to empower them in their daily practices and encourage them to participate in political movements.

“We also train women to enable them to have the courage to run for parliamentary elections, especially in rural areas,” she said.

The NGO is also combating gender-based violence, which is increasing in Jordan, according to Kanaan.

“When the government says we have around 1.2 million Syrian refugees residing in Jordan, half of them women and girls, we are talking about 500,000 people who have their own needs, other than Jordanians who number more than 6 million,” she said. 

“Media is playing a role in drawing attention to women-related problems, but, personally, I think [Jordan] still need more steps… We are approaching journalists today to announce a long-term partnership with media to cover those issues,” Kanaan said. 

During the seminar, participants explored ways to “change the method of delivering gender-based topics” and “suggest better angles” when covering events and transmitting them to the public.

Within the next month, CARE is scheduled to launch another campaign titled “Badiri”, which translates into “initiate”, to choose 20 women pioneers in Jordan and highlight their achievements through media outlets to show the reality of women in the Kingdom and celebrate their individuality, Kanaan said. 

The European Union and the Canadian, Australian, American and British governments funded the CARE campaigns and around $18 million was spent on all programmes in 2015, with around 550,000 beneficiaries from the local community and refugees, she noted. 

AMMAN — Her Majesty Queen Rania on Monday honoured the winners of the 10th Teacher Award and the 4th Principal Award cycles.

In a ceremony held by the Association of Queen Rania Al Abdullah Award for Excellence in Education (QRAEE), which coincides with QRAEE’s 10th anniversary, the Queen highlighted the importance of recognising teachers’ roles in building a more resilient and tolerant future generation, according to a statement from her office. 

“Ten years ago, I launched the Teachers’ Award to start a tradition of recognising outstanding educators whose skills reflect deeply on our success as a nation,” noted Her Majesty, chairperson of the QRAEE board of trustees.

“I launched it for another reason, which few of you may not know… as it troubled me back then to learn that teachers felt unappreciated in our nation’s journey. And that is when I said: the era of teachers is back; believing in their role, I hoped they would reclaim their status and, once again, become a point of reference for all,” Queen Rania said.

“Respecting teachers is a public social responsibility that is rooted first within homes, and then in classrooms, where capable teachers can earn students’ respect with their knowledge and experience,” she underscored.  

“Students must realise the importance of education before going to school; they must realise that between their present and a promising future lies a school, an education, and a teacher.” 

Referring to the pivotal roles that educators play in the face of turbulent times, the Queen said, “we need our teachers more than ever... Our future depends on the next generation, their education, and the values they instil in them.”

“Our young generation is being exposed to harmful new ideologies that neither our generation, nor previous ones, were familiar with — until today,” she asserted. 

Queen Rania went on to explain how discrimination is like a disease that takes advantage of vulnerable communities and spreads fear, adding that “minds haunted by fear have no room for dreams. What future is one without dreams, hopes and ambitions?”

Stressing the need to prepare children to face alien ideologies, Queen Rania said: “We have to empower and raise them on the values of diversity and dialogue that Jordanians have passed on through the generations.”

“We should teach them that they are part of a global community, one with more similarities than differences. Let’s teach children values that help them thrive, not ones that isolate and instil fear of the other,” Her Majesty added.

The Queen concluded the speech by reaffirming that teachers are the country’s best chance at preparing a generation that will secure a better future for Jordan, congratulating educators for their commitment to this end. 

After the speech, Her Majesty honoured the 25 winners, presenting prizes and plaques to 15 teachers who won in five categories, as well as 10 principals who won the distinguished principal award in two categories, the statement said.

During the ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Mohammad Thneibat expressed the educational community’s gratitude for this initiative to Her Majesty, and thanked the educators for their persistent efforts in this noble profession. 

Also speaking at the event, QRAEE Executive Director Lubna Touqan thanked all partners and entities that contributed to the award’s success, which include the Social Development Ministry and the National Council for Family Affairs. 

She expressed her gratitude to Queen Rania, noting that “appreciating, honouring and motivating the teacher to disseminate a culture of excellence and creativity [has] started to leave its marks in the field of education”. 

Touqan also voiced hope that these awards would expand in the years to come. 

Educators and their families, senior officials, QRAEE representatives, private and public sector sponsors as well as media personalities attended the ceremony, held at the Palace of Culture-Al Hussein Youth City and sponsored by Zain, the statement said. 

AMMAN – Crashing oil prices to levels last seen during the global financial crisis are likely to have a good, bad and even ugly impact on Jordan's economy, economists and energy experts told The Jordan Times Monday. 

The experts said the plunging oil price, which reached $35 a barrel Monday, is good news for Jordanian consumers and some businesses, however if prices remain low in the coming few years, this may bring a significant downside for the Kingdom's economy. 

The good 

Former energy minister, Malek Kabariti, said falling oil prices are good for Jordan's economy as a whole, as they mean a slimmer energy bill, the heaviest burden on the economy.  

The cost of energy incurred by the Kingdom, which imports nearly 96 per cent of its energy needs, declined during the first three quarters of this year by nearly a half to JD1.7 billion from JD3.3 billion in the same period of 2014, the Department of Statistics has announced recently. 

The government is still subsidising electricity and the fall in crude oil would save the treasury millions of dinars in reduced subsidy costs, the former minister said, adding that the production power generation cost of the heavily indebted National Electric Power Company (NEPCO), a state-owned entity, has dropped sharply over the past months. 

NEPCO debts are estimated at JD5 billion due to losses the company encountered over the past five years, blamed mainly on the disruption of gas supplies from Egypt. 

Economist Mufleh Akel said Jordanian consumers are the biggest beneficiaries from the drop in oil prices. 

“Consumers are very happy to see oil prices hit low levels due to the decreasing spending on energy purchases,” he said. 

Akel said cheap oil prices are also a relief for the producers and industrialists who rely on fuel in their production, adding that lower production costs would enable Jordanian producers to better compete in the domestic and regional markets. 

Economic analyst and columnist at Al Rai daily Issam Qadamani echoed the views of the Kabariti and Akel, noting in addition to decreasing Jordan’s energy bill and reducing the trade balance deficit, lower oil prices allow families to use the difference in prices of fuel products for other purchases or for saving.

The bad 

Crashing oil prices may be bad news for the government’s domestic revenues as fuel products carry a tax rate of nearly 40 per cent, the experts noted. 

State revenues from fuel products dropped by JD150 million this year, Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications and Government Spokesperson Mohammad Momani said last month when the government revealed its spending bill for next year. 

To offset the drop in revenues, experts made a number of suggestions. 

Akel said instead of imposing a tax rate on fuel products, the government can charge a fixed amount per unit of fuel to make up for the drop in revenues. 

Qadamani urged the government to encourage investments in industrial and commercial projects that can create jobs to further boost economic productivity and thus enhance the Treasury’s income.

Akel also indicated that the economic growth target for next year, put at 3.7 per cent, may not be achieved due to shocks from low oil prices that could affect government revenues and may affect remittances of Jordanian expatriates. 

The ugly 

The worst scenario of plummeting oil prices on Jordan is the  possible impact of side effects on expatriates and remittances, the experts said. 

Akel said that Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil producer and exporter, could see financing strains due to lower revenues if the downtrend in oil prices continues for the coming two to three years.

He explained that the construction sector in the Gulf kingdom is likely to witness a severe slowdown because the government might get pushed to suspend some projects there. 

There is a considerable number of Jordanian professionals, particularly engineers, who work in private construction companies in Saudi Arabia, he said, adding that construction firms in the neighbouring Kingdom may lay off some of their employees or cut their salaries. 

Jordanian companies doing business with or in Saudi Arabia are likely to feel the pressure the Gulf state is facing due to dwindling oil prices, the economist said. 

Official figures estimate the number of Jordanians in Saudi Arabia at around 300,000, mostly professionals and skilled labourers.  Nearly 200,000 Jordanians are based in the United Arab Emirates, another major world oil exporter. 

Falling oil prices may have a toll on expats’ remittances, the pundit said. 

Remittances reached over $3.66 billion (JD2.6 billion) last year, or 10 per cent of Jordan’s gross domestic product, according to official data. 

Oil and energy expert Mazen Irsheid said that such an effect on Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries can be seen if the current low oil prices stay the same or further drop for four to six years to come, a matter he said is “unlikely”.

 He said the Saudi sovereign wealth fund contains $700 billion, $75 billion of which was spent since June this year, kicking off a depletion process of Saudi reserves. 

Irsheid cited International Monetary Fund expectations for the funds reserves to run out completely in five years’ time in light of current spending patterns.

Oil is the source of over 90 per cent of Saudi Arabia’s income, he said, expecting layoffs of guest workers, including Jordanians, to occur in three years if oil prices remain around $40 a barrel.  

Kabariti called on decision makers not to repeat the same mistakes when oil prices fall by ignoring strategic projects that can make Jordan an energy independent country. 

“We should continue to focus on renewable energy because it is the future of Jordan and it is the way to success,” the former minister said, indicating that Jordan is now a regional leader in terms of adopting environment-friendly energy schemes.

Jordan on Monday reiterated its position in support of a political solution that ensures Syria's security and the unity of its people based on the Geneva communiqué. 

Speaking at a meeting in Paris, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh said the political solution should meet the aspirations of the Syrian people.

The plan, he added, should allow refugees to go back to their country, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

In addition to Jordan, officials from the US, France, Britain, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Turkey attended the meeting, the French foreign ministry said, according to Agence France-Presse.

Monday’s talks covered preparations for a meeting on Syria in New York on Friday with Russia and Iran — the two main backers of Syrian President Bashar Assad, according to AFP.

The New York talks are not yet confirmed, but could lead to a UN resolution, a French diplomatic source told the agency.

“We want to move fast on negotiations and fix a framework with a UN Security Council resolution,” said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The last major talks in Vienna on November 14 saw the opposing powers agree on a fixed calendar for a ceasefire in Syria, followed by a transitional government in six months and elections one year later.

Syrian opposition figures said the plan was unrealistic, but they are tentatively scheduled to meet with Assad’s regime in Vienna in early January.

Meanwhile, the Syrian government has shown no change in its behaviour on the ground, the diplomatic source added, and its Russian and Iranian allies have done little to pressure Assad into negotiations.

“Nevertheless, we are starting to see that Tehran does not want to be seen as the saboteur of the Vienna process,” the diplomat said.

AMMAN — The 2015 Population Census, which started on November 30, ended on Monday in all governorates, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, quoted Department of Statistics’ (DoS) director, Qasem Zu’bi, as saying. 

Zu’bi said that call centres at the DoS were to stop receiving calls from households, but the auditing processes and some further field visits would take place for quality control purposes as part of the post-census phase. 

Initial results are expected this year and the final statistics are due out in February, officials have announced. 

The DoS chief thanked all parties and individuals who contributed to facilitating the work of the census takers, naming the Cabinet and the higher ministerial committee of the 2015 census chaired by Planning and International Cooperation Minister Imad Fakhoury. 

He also thanked the Education Ministry for their efforts its staff exerted during the population tally-taking process, in addition to other concerned parties including administrative governors, ministries, universities, the Greater Amman Municipality, the Public Security Department, telecom companies and the media. 

Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour has announced earlier that even though the country has been reeling from the impact of hosting 1.4 million Syrians, the census does not have political aims and is not related to any nationals residing in the country, be they Syrians, Egyptians, Iraqis or other nationalities.

Zu’bi also announced earlier that the census was designed to provide additional data related to migration, unemployment, disabilities and data on non-Jordanians who voluntarily entered the Kingdom or came as refugees. 

The previous census was carried out in 2004, putting the total number of the Kingdom’s population at 5.1 million.

AMMAN — The National Electric Power Company’s (NEPCO) twinning project with the EU concluded on Monday.

The 27-month project which was aimed at improving the power grid and maintaining it to cope with current challenges and the increasing demand, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The EU-funded 1.7 million euro project was implemented in cooperation with the Spanish government.

Spanish Ambassador to Jordan Santiago Cabanas Ansorena said 50 Spanish engineers shared their expertise with their Jordanian counterparts at NEPCO, highlighting the importance of the twinning project for the energy sector, Petra added.

AMMAN — Minister of Political and Parliamentary Affairs Khaled Kalaldeh on Monday said political reform is progressing on the basis of a roadmap relying heavily on enhancing democracy and public participation in decision making.

Kalaldeh made the remarks during a meeting with British Ambassador to Jordan Edward Oakden. The UK ambassador said Jordan’s reform approach ensures the Kingdom’s stability and security, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

AMMAN — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates has called on the family of Farouq Nayef Mohammad Saleh Atweh to contact its consular section or operations centre for an urgent matter, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Monday.