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AMMAN — Border Guards received 54 Syrian refugees during the past 48 hours and sent them to shelters and camps, an army source said Tuesday.

Royal Medical Services cadres treated the ill and injured, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

AMMAN — Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour on Tuesday met with several MPs and leading figures from Zarqa, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. Ensour listened to the attendees’ demands to improve health services in Zarqa and increase cooperation between Hashemite University and Zarqa Public Hospital.

The premier voiced readiness to study measures of turning the hospital into an educational centre. Also on Tuesday, Ensour met with Qatari investor Sheikh Mohammad Sultan Al Jaber, Petra reported.

Jaber briefed the premier on the investment he is planning to make in the Dead Sea area to establish a medical centre as well as rehabilitate four- and five-star hotels with an investment volume of $120 to $150 million. Jaber said he chose the Dead Sea area because of its tourist attractions.

AMMAN — Senate President Faisal Fayez on Tuesday stressed the importance of being internally united to preserve the country’s security and stability in light of the turbulence in the region, calling for countering hate speech, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Fayez made his remarks during a meeting at the Senate with representatives of popular movements. Also on Tuesday, Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh received the representatives and said Jordan is a key ally in defending the Palestinians’ rights.

AMMAN — Senate President Faisal Fayez and President of the Slovenian National Council Mitja Bervar on Tuesday signed a cooperation agreement.

The two presidents held talks on enhancing Jordanian-Slovenian relations in legislation. Bervar voiced his country’s keenness on enhancing its relations with Jordan in all fields.

Also on Tuesday, Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh met with Bervar and discussed bilateral relations and the latest regional developments. 

AMMAN — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriate Affairs has called on the family of Nasser Wasfi Shukri Hammoudah to contact its consular section or operations centre on an urgent matter, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Tuesday.

AMMAN — Her Majesty Queen Rania has lent her support to Google in the launch of its "biggest Street View capture yet in the Arab world", a statement from her office said Monday.

Queen Rania narrated a video tour of Petra and wrote a blog post for Google Blog on the occasion of the launch, announced Monday, of 360-degree street view imagery of the ancient Nabataean city and 30 other landmarks in Jordan for the first time.

Street View Special Collects is a feature of Google Maps that lets users explore places around the world like landmarks, natural wonders, and culturally and historically significant sites, the statement said. 

Today, anyone with an Internet connection can explore the Rose-Red City, the Dead Sea, and the monuments of Jerash, Qasr Al Kharana, Mount Nebo and more.

In the blog post, Queen Rania noted that with Google Maps Street View, "people all over the world now have a window into our magical Kingdom in the heart of the Middle East” (googleblog.blogspot.com/2015/11/jordan-street-view.html).

The Queen added that this technology also “…provides a lens on the past. And when we understand more about each other’s stories and cultures and histories, we realise that we are more alike than we are different. That’s why we must preserve these treasures for future generations. They’re a doorway to our shared narrative.”

Her Majesty’s office worked closely with Google on the initiative. 

The Queen also helped in the selection of the sites at the initial stages of the project and provided an exclusive narration of the global launch video (https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=yXdYec1Z8
PQ&hl=ar&cc_lang_pref=ar&cc=1).

“The Google Street View team tries to go to amazing places around the world because we know that our users love to see them and experience them online,” said Ulf Spitzer, global head of the Google Street View Programme.

“Jordan is one of the most spectacular places that we have visited — thanks to the amazing support and warm hospitality that was extended. We hope our imagery conveys all the grace, beauty and deep heritage of the country,” the statement quoted him as saying.

To create this imagery, Google used the Trekker, which is a wearable Street View backpack with a camera system on top that is designed to go down footpaths, tracks and narrow pathways to get images of areas of natural beauty or tourist sites.

This is the fifth Street View imagery collected of a major landmark in the Middle East and North Africa, after Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and the Liwa desert in Abu Dhabi, and the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt.

Google Maps Street View began in 2007 and today covers thousands of cities in 72 countries. The programme includes capturing 360-degree imagery of theme parks, university campuses, pedestrian malls, landmarks and zoos.

The imagery of the 30 historical sites and other sites is now available on Google Maps and can be viewed on g.co/Jordanhighlights and g.co/Petra.

AMMAN — Jordan and the UAE are set to take bilateral cooperation to the next level at the first Jordanian-Emirati economic forum this week.

For several months, officials from both countries have been preparing to hold a joint forum that institutionalises bilateral cooperation and provides a venue to discuss investment opportunities in Jordan and the UAE, according to the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply.

"The forum is an excellent opportunity to shed light on areas of investments, especially in renewable energy and medical tourism. We are optimistic about the ability of the forum to come up with new partnerships with the Emirati public and private sectors," the ministry's spokesperson, Yanal Barmawi, told The Jordan Times on Monday.

More than 50 government officials, heads of industry and commerce chambers and company chairpersons from the two countries will convene at the two-day event, which opens in the UAE on Wednesday.

UAE Minister of Economy Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansouri stressed his country's commitment to fostering and raising the level of economic cooperation with Jordan in a way that serves the private sector and development of both nations, according to a statement carried on Sunday by the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

"The forum is part of the two countries' endeavours to boost bilateral ties, particularly in the areas of trade and investments, while focusing on the vital role the private sector and the business community play in pushing cooperation forward," Mansouri said.

He noted that the “huge” Emirati delegation to the forum and the various sectors its members represent reflect the “genuine will to foster trade and investment cooperation with Jordan and the commitment to enabling the private sector in the two countries to play a pivotal role in this regard”.

Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Maha Ali will deliver an opening address on Wednesday.

Several sessions and bilateral meetings between Jordanian and Emirati businesspeople will also take place on the first day of the forum.

“The following day, a UAE delegation will visit development areas in Jordan to be acquainted with investment opportunities and incentives granted to investors,” Barmawi said.

The bilateral trade volume exceeded $1 billion last year, while Emirati investments benefiting from the Investment Law are worth $500 million.

“UAE investments in Aqaba are estimated at $10 billion,” the ministry spokesperson noted.

AMMAN – The Public Sector Development Ministry has prepared the 2016 executive plan to improve the efficiency of government agencies that focuses on human resources, fair distribution of services and accountability, Minister Khleef Al Khawaldeh said on Monday. 

The government has made tangible progress over the past years in enhancing the quality of services offered to the public and businesses, he added in an interview with The Jordan Times, but acknowledged that more work is still required to boost public sector productivity. 

The plan mainly focuses on establishing a positive culture of work and expanding projects and activities targeting the development of public service to the governorates, Khawaldeh said, noting that the 2016 strategy includes a number of new projects that translate Royal directives to enhance the quality of services and simplify procedures for the public and investors. 

New projects 

For example, one new project entails developing working mechanisms of committees in charge of issuing approvals and licences for businesses and also seeks to identify ways to improve the efficiency of their work to further facilitate services and simplify procedures, the minister said. 

Another project will study the geographical distribution of centres providing government services to evaluate its effectiveness and fairness. 

"People in remote areas and villages would not consider resorting to government e-services if they live far away from such centres… To enable them to access public services, a building offering key services can be established in each area," he explained.    

Khawaldeh said an interactive observatory will be launched for citizens to evaluate government services and offer their ideas and suggestions for developing them.

Performance evaluation

The minister noted that the government has issued a bylaw to govern the appointment of senior officials to ensure integrity, transparency, justice, equal opportunities and the recruitment of qualified candidates. 

However, Khawaldeh said those in leadership positions, such as secretaries general of ministries and directors of government agencies, should be assessed on a periodic basis to achieve better performance. 

For this purpose, he added, the ministry has prepared a performance evaluation system for senior employees based on measurable standards and indicators that guarantee accountability and professionalism. 

The evaluation system, which the Cabinet approved earlier this month, includes four pillars: institutional, financial, observations and results of excellence awards.

The institutional performance includes the level of achieving and enhancing objectives over the years, while the financial pillar includes controlling current expenditure and increasing revenues for income-generating departments, Khawaldeh explained.

Comments in reports issued by monitoring agencies constitute the third pillar, while the fourth entails evaluating results of excellence awards, including the King Abdullah II Awards for Excellence in Government Performance and Transparency, in addition to the level of customers’ satisfaction. 

The evaluation system will be implemented at the end of every year and senior officials should also submit a semi-annual achievement report, he said. 

The results of the evaluation process will be used as a reference when taking decisions on whether or not to keep the senior officials in their positions.

Retirement age employees 

Khawaldeh said the Cabinet also approved a set of standards to be considered before a decision is taken to extend the services of employees who reach retirement age, under which the concerned department should justify its need for the employee in terms of practical expertise, skills, and shortage in his/her specialisation.

These criteria aim to limit the process of extension and give graduates the opportunity to apply for vacancies, he noted, adding that they also seek to limit expansion in government size as the public sector employs more than 10,000 people annually, while the number of retirees is much lower. 

“Another reason is to give those who apply at the Civil Service Bureau the opportunity to be recruited, and hence lessen unemployment that has a negative social impact.” 

Annual contracts and top university achievers

The minister noted that since the beginning of 2014, the government started recruiting employees under annual contracts that are renewed according to the employee’s performance as it aims to enhance public sector productivity and entrench a positive work culture. 

“Working for the government is no longer a secure job... Instead an employee can keep his/her job only by being productive and efficient.”  

In order to deepen the culture of excellence and innovation in government departments, the Cabinet recently approved the recruitment of 150 top graduates from public universities every year, according to Khawaldeh. 

Those who have graduated during the last three years in the fields of engineering, business administration, information technology and law will be recruited under the first phase, while the rest of specialisations will be gradually included during the upcoming phases as per the requirements of government departments, he noted. 

The purpose is not only to hire them, Khawaldeh said, but to foster their capabilities by providing an appropriate environment. 

“We have plans to put a certain percentage for hiring top graduates in annual government vacancies by modifying selection and hiring regulations,” he added. 

Cooperation with int’l agencies

Due to limited finances and budget constraints, the ministry implements programmes and projects using its staff without contracting consultancy firms, Khawaldeh said, adding that it also benefits from grants and expertise offered by supportive international agencies.  

He cited cooperation with USAID, which provided the ministry with technical support to implement the “empowering women in the civil service sector” project. 

So far this year, 180 women benefited from this programme, which will continue next year. 

The ministry is also coordinating with USAID to receive more support to implement a number of programmes and activities included in the executive plan for the upcoming years.

In addition, the ministry has started, in cooperation with UNDP, preparing a policy paper on public administration reform with the aim of increasing its effectiveness, efficiency and capacity to confront national challenges according to the status quo and international comparative studies. 

Moreover, the European Union, in coordination with the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, will provide the ministry with technical support through the “Support to Public Finance and Public Administration Reforms” programme. 

The support includes developing the interactive observatory to evaluate government services and measure customer satisfaction, which is scheduled to start operating during the first quarter of next year.

AMMAN — Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour on Monday said improving the business environment and the national economy's competitiveness is a top priority, highlighting the need to achieve tangible success in this regard.

Ensour made the remarks as he chaired a National Council for Competitiveness and Innovation meeting to discuss Jordan's score in the 2016 Ease of Doing Business report, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

These international reports are very important for donors and have a direct impact on investment activity, the premier said.

Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Imad Fakhoury said the meeting focused on the first tranche of required reforms, be they related to registering property, starting an economic or investment activity, receiving credit or issuing building licences, according to Petra.

Fakhoury said that all stakeholders agreed on what has to be achieved in the last month of 2015 and the first quarter of 2016 in a way that guarantees the continuity of improving Jordan’s rank and facilitates procedures for investors.

Jordan was ranked 113th out of 189 countries in the World Bank’s 2016 Ease of Doing Business report.

Countries are ranked from 1 to 189 on their Ease of Doing Business, with rank 1 being the highest “ease”.

A high Ease of Doing Business ranking means the country’s regulatory environment is more conducive to starting and operating a local firm.

Rankings are determined by sorting the aggregate distance to frontier scores on 10 topics, each consisting of several indicators, and giving equal weight to each topic.

The council members also discussed reforms currently being implemented to improve the business environment by reducing the time needed to issue building licences and work permits from 14 days to seven, Petra reported.

In addition, they discussed facilitating tax paying procedures by implementing electronic systems for credit and payment, and reviewed procedures to reduce the forms required for registering companies, according to Petra.

AMMAN — Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Imad Fakhoury on Monday chaired the first meeting of the coordinating committee of the Kingdom’s 2016-2018 executive development programme, a ministry statement said.

The Council of Ministers endorsed the programme, which forms the first phase of implementation of the Jordan 2025 economic blueprint, earlier this month.

The 2016-2018 programme includes all 26 economic and social sectors, 578 performance indicators, and 340 initiatives, as well as projects and legislation linked to the Jordan 2025 document, according to the statement.

“We have been keen right from the beginning to adopt the participatory approach in preparation to ensure the involvement of all concerned parties,” the statement quoted Fakhoury as saying.

The minister said the programme is flexible and will be reviewed annually as needed, as well as in light of the results of the population census.

“We have also been eager to streamline gender issues and to make them relevant to the programme by coordinating with the Jordanian National Commission for Women, which reviewed the sectoral drafts of the programme,” he added.

Fakhoury explained that the committee will coordinate with the Public Budget Department to identify key projects not funded in the public budget, which will be the top priorities in government discussions with foreign partners to obtain either grants or soft loans, the statement said.

He noted that a package of projects in major sectors has been identified for public-private implementation.

Also on Monday, the minister chaired the meeting of the national team in charge of preparing 2016-2018 governorate development programmes, held to coordinate and agree on a national agenda to carry out decisions and recommendations relevant to those programmes, according to a second ministry statement. 

Fakhoury said his ministry and the Interior Ministry are working as one team on the programmes.

“We have already covered $1.3 billion in the next three years from the priorities arranged by the different ministries... according to the visits that we already made to all governorates. There is a funding gap of $825 million over the next three years,” he added. 

Fakhoury said the ministry is coordinating with USAID on priorities in the governorate development programmes for 2016-2018, to reach an agreement on what the agency could contribute, according to the statement.