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AMMAN — Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour on Thursday checked on the progress of work at several development projects in the Aqaba Special Economic Zone.

Ensour attended the unfolding of trailers and towing and guiding boats belonging to the Aqaba Port Marine Service Company, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.Built at a cost of JD40 million, the vessels will serve the Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah liquefied natural gas.

AMMAN — British Ambassador to Jordan Edward Oakden launched on Thursday the “first” training course for community police assistants at Azraq and Zaatari camps, the British embassy said in a statement.

This development comes as part of the embassy’s partnership with the Syrian Refugee Affairs Directorate to support Jordan by helping provide security for refugees.

The arrival of 80 new staff members, part funded by the British embassy and part by the Dutch embassy, will allow the community police to carry out more foot patrols and address issues in the communities by working in partnership with residents and NGOs, the statement said.

Oakden stressed the UK’s partnership with Jordan in improving fields like community policing for the security of Syrian refugees, as well as providing job opportunities for Jordanians. Since 2013, the British embassy’s policing support team has supported the establishment of community police stations at both Azraq and Zaatari camps.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday said Jordan wants to explore opportunities to strengthen its economic relations with Cyprus.

The King made the remark as he and Her Majesty Queen Rania received Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and his wife, currently on an official visit to the Kingdom, according to a Royal Court statement.

During broader talks with the Cypriot president, which were preceded by a one-on-one meeting, the King said: "It is a great honour for us to welcome you to Jordan to express the tremendous and warm relations we have between our two countries, celebrating 53 years of relations between our peoples. This is a relationship we treasure with tremendous pride."

In his welcoming address, His Majesty expressed his appreciation of Cyprus’ stance in support of Jordan, through its membership in the EU.

“I look forward to this discussion today that is going to continue to cement the relations on all levels.”

Underscoring the distinguished relations between Cyprus and Jordan at the political level, King Abdullah stressed his commitment to strengthening economic relations to reach advanced levels.

“I think this is a warm and family relationship that we are all treasuring, and I am very delighted to have you and your delegation here in Jordan,” the King told the Cypriot president.

Anastasiades expressed his gratitude for the official invitation to visit Jordan, describing the visit as “a proof of our mutual determination... to exchange useful ideas of further promoting and expanding our excellent relationship”.

“It will also provide us [with] the opportunity to discuss the situation in our region, since we are both concerned... We both form part of the wider Middle East, and we both have a great stake in the stability in our geographic area, and we both as well share the common objective of creating conditions conducive to lasting peace and stability and development in the region and beyond,” he said.

The president noted that “the fact that the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is providing shelter and adequate living conditions to more than 1.2 million refugees is an act of collective social and humanitarian consciousness that deserves due international merit and applause”.

Anastasiades added that Jordan “can count on our support in the efforts to effectively manage the deepening humanitarian crisis. We stand ready to convey at tomorrow’s informal European summit, to be held in Malta, Jordan’s important views and positions as regards to this issue”.

“Jordan has a special place both in our heart but as well as in our external policy. You can consider Cyprus as one of your ambassadors in the European Union,” the Cypriot leader added.

Talks during the meeting, attended by Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour, covered means to strengthen bilateral ties.

The two sides discussed increasing cooperation in the fields of solar and renewable energy and the possibility of Jordan benefiting from the natural gas which has been recently discovered in Cypriot waters, which is expected to be extracted in the coming years.

Talks also addressed the burdens borne by the Kingdom as a result of hosting Syrian refugees and the intensified international efforts needed in this regard.

In addition, Jordanian and Cypriot officials reviewed chances to benefit from the opportunities offered by Jordan’s investment climate, urging businesspeople from both countries to clinch partnerships to foster economic cooperation.

Moreover, discussions addressed regional developments, mainly counter-terrorism efforts and the crisis in Syria.

Also on Wednesday, Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour met separately with Anastasiades and exchanged views on means to boost Jordanian-Cypriot relations, the latest regional developments pertaining to the Palestinian cause and the crisis in Syria, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

At the meeting, attended by Jordanian and Cypriot ministers and officials, the premier welcomed the president, stressing the Kingdom’s desire to strengthen its cooperation with Cyprus in economy, commerce, tourism and energy.

Ensour said both countries share the same views regarding the Palestinian cause, the crisis in Syria and the war on terrorism.

Anastasiades underscored the two countries’ joint commitment to boosting cooperation.

At a joint press conference, Ensour highlighted King Abdullah’s meeting with the Cypriot president.

Discussions addressed ways to increase cooperation, especially in the fields of tourism, commerce and culture, he told reporters.

The two governments will work, in accordance with the directives of His Majesty and the Cypriot president, to implement what was agreed on during their talks, in terms of developing joint cooperation, Ensour said.

Anastasiades said the two countries expressed their mutual commitment to expanding cooperation, highlighting the great potential to achieve this goal.

The Cypriot president invited officials and ministers of both countries to intensify their meetings to explore chances to build stronger cooperation.

AMMAN — The issue of refugees arriving on the shores of Europe has been "a wake-up call for all of us that we have to have better coordination", His Majesty King Abdullah said in an interview broadcast by Euronews channel on Wednesday.

Speaking to Isabelle Kumar on "The Global Conversation", the King said the crisis in Syria must be dealt with "from a holistic approach".

His Majesty also stressed that Russia plays a key role in finding a political solution in Syria. 

"I still believe that the fact that the Russians are on the ground in Syria today, is a reality that we all have to deal with," he added.

Following is a transcript of the interview:

Isabelle Kumar: Jordan is home to hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees — and buckling under the pressure as international aid falls short. In the meantime, the Kingdom is facing encroaching Islamist terrorism.  I am in Amman to speak exclusively to King Abdullah II.

Your Majesty, many thanks for joining us on “The Global Conversation”. Jordan is a small country, but you have a history of providing asylum to refugees. There are so many Syrians fleeing the war now just across the border that is putting your economy and your resources under great strain. How much longer can you cope with this?

His Majesty King Abdullah: Well, we have been coping for several years now. We are pretty much maxed-out: 1.4, roughly, million Syrian refugees, that is about 20 per cent of our population. That is probably as much as we can take.

Obviously, with the presence of the Russians now in Syria, depending on how that turns out on ground fighting, there is a concern that there may be more refugees being pushed down towards the south.

So, it is a day-to-day issue that we are struggling with, especially with the fact that only 10 per cent of the refugees are actually in the refugee camps.  The rest of them are across our country, in all the villages and all the cities.

Kumar: You asked for $3 billion in aid at the beginning of this year. How much of that has been fulfilled?

King: Well, to actually take care of the problem, it is roughly about $3 billion a year; and, unfortunately, last year we got about 28 per cent of that. This year it is about 35 per cent. The rest of it has to come from the Jordanian government. So, every year roughly it costs us a quarter of the budget to cover not just looking after the refugees, but infrastructural support.

As I said, when you have 90 per cent of the refugees outside of the refugee camps, that affects our school systems, our infrastructure, our healthcare system, Syrians competing for jobs with Jordanians.

So, there is tremendous support from the international community, but when, as this year, it is only 35 per cent, a small country like ours that is trying to work with the IMF, it really is a tremendous challenge. And we are being let down by the international community.

Kumar: So, you say that you are feeling let down by the international community, but also you are moving now beyond from an emergency response to a long-term, sustainable approach to deal with these people, who may well be in your country for many more years.

King: Well, there is really no choice. I mean on average, I think, most reports from the international community show that refugees on average stay for 17 years. So, we have to look long-term.

How do we look at accepting many of these refugees to be part of our society for a long-term? How do we sustain that in our economy? What we are now trying to do is to reach out to our European friends to say, how can you look at this as a sustainable package for the economy for a long term? How do we create jobs for Syrian labour, but also for Jordanians?

The challenge is that unemployment for Jordanian citizens is on the rise. Jordan is a very stable country when it comes to the region. Our military is very strong. The weakness is our economy; and we have taken a tremendous burden off Europe by being able to host these Syrians.

Europeans are beginning to taste just a little bit of the challenge that we have had over these past few years and we see the reaction in Europe because a small percentage of these refugees have hit your shores.

Well, this is something that we have been living with for five or six years, and quite honestly, people have taken us for granted to a certain extent.

Kumar: And if we continue with this idea of being taken for granted, Europe is in chaos, really, to all intents and purposes, with this refugee crisis. We see EU countries that can’t help, or possibly don’t want to help these refugees. So, what makes you think the EU and EU leaders will help you now further to combat this?

King: There are a lot of countries that want to help because as we have always taken the challenge as the right thing to do. Other countries are going to help us because it is actually easier for them to invest in countries such as Jordan because it takes the burden off Europe.

We are seeing some numbers of refugees leaving Jordan eventually to get to Europe because they are beginning to realise that Jordan can only sustain itself for so long.

What we are trying to do with our European friends is how do we work together to invest in factories, creating jobs, investments into Jordan. But at the same time, we are classified as a middle-income country. As a result, we have difficulties getting loans from the international community; so we are in debt, and we are being asked to take loans at very high percentages, when there is this mental split that we are actually suffering on something that is actually completely out of our control.

So, we are working with some of the European countries, but we will see how it goes to hopefully a donor’s conference in the UK in February.

Kumar: You mentioned that Syrians are leaving, going over to Europe as conditions deteriorate here. We are also hearing that some Syrians are choosing to return to Syria because they are losing hope. Do you get concerned sometimes that despite everything you have done, you might end up on the wrong side of history when it comes to this crisis?

King: I’m always somebody who looks at a glass half full. And if we will talk about the challenges we have now, I think the issue of refugees arriving on the shores of Europe has been a wake-up call for all of us that we have to have better coordination.

If we take one step back, what we have been talking about up until this point is, obviously, about the global war against terror. Europe is suffering from foreign fighters. This is an issue that we have been calling for, for the past two years.

This is, in my view, a global war, a third world war by other means. Getting our act together in Syria, allows us a building block to be able to deal with this from a holistic approach. So we have to come together and help each other on this issue. And I think there is a wake-up call now that there has to be synchronisation.

And as we talk about the Russian involvement in this, there is an opportunity.

Kumar: Previously, the US has held a lot of weight in this region; you have just mentioned Russia, do you see Russia as a bigger key player now in this region?

King: I have always said for the past five or six years that for a political solution in Syria, Moscow is key. They are the ones that can give the guarantees to the regime that they have a stake in the future. And I still believe that the fact that the Russians are on the ground in Syria today, is a reality that we all have to deal with.

As I said, if the Europeans are dealing with a major concern of foreign fighters, that is doubly so for Russia. And so, they have a major problem with foreign fighters also; so they need to deal with the threat of ISIS or Daesh themselves.

So, for me, I see this as an opportunity for all of us to come together on Syria; and again, then being able to pan back on this global threat.

There is a lot of mistrust between East and West. There is still unfortunately this mentality of living in the Cold War era. And we have to get beyond this to this new challenge of this global third world war.

So, as we start building confidence steps; I think here is for us the opportunity to put our differences aside and bring this new collective relationship together.

Kumar: So, would you place the priority in terms of defeat on beating or defeating Syrian President Bashar Al Assad or on ISIL/Daesh?

King: The understanding that is coming across now after the Vienna meetings: We have to defeat Daesh/ISIS, but at the same time lead to a political process that brings a new page to Syria.

So, how the wording of that happens is where the different countries are jockeying at the moment. But there is, I think, a collective understanding that Daesh is a problem and that has to be dealt with. Then how do you deal with the politics of things? So, different countries have different positions, but the end game, at the end of the day, is how do you defeat Daesh and the franchises around the world and we have to keep reminding the players — look at the bigger picture.

Kumar: Because this is an inspirational group, they have inspired attacks all around the world. What is your take on it? You are a keen viewer of geopolitical affairs. How do you see a group like this being defeated?

King: It is a franchise, it is a global franchise. There is no difference between any of these groups, they are all the same. They all have the same thinking. And so we have to understand that and we have to be able to think the same way.

So that is why I am trying to explain that if we can come together on Syria, the other elephant in the room — unfortunately for the Europeans and sometimes, maybe, the Americans don’t understand, when I keep saying the elephant in the room — is Libya.

You know, it is not just Syria that we have to deal with, as quickly as we can get our minds around that, what about Libya, what about Boko Haram, what about Al Shabab? We still have issues in Asia.

So, an opportunity now presents itself, I think, with the Russian involvement in Syria, is to get past previous problems of history and create this global relationship to be able to tackle what I am calling the allies of this new third world war conflict that we have to face.

Kumar: Bashar Al Assad is an essential part of this. You talk about a political solution, transition period, that’s obviously the big stumbling block here, but who could step into President Bashar Al Assad’s place to stop ISIL moving in?

King: We have to be very careful because different countries that are involved in this Syria puzzle have their different views, and I think the problem is standing on a soapbox and taking strong positions at this stage is not helpful.

We understand that we need to have a political process in Syria.

I think the idea is how do we move the political process forward. I think the Russians understand that; the regime understands this; and those that are involved on the coalition-side, with different views, understand that.

So, let the haggling happen in a way that it can actually get a moderate opposition to be able to get to the table at a certain date with the regime to be able to move forward. There is no real quick fix because the aim is to get, hopefully, a new process going in Syria, politically, but we still have a fight against Daesh.

There is an inter-link between Syria and Iraq because Daesh is a crossborder. It has got a large piece of real estate in eastern Syria and a large piece of real estate in western Iraq.

Kumar: And what about Jordan? Because you are surrounded by this instability, encroaching ISIL terrorism, but also your young men, possibly women, have joined those foreign fighters too. How long can you fend off this extremism? Because, as you said, Jordan is one of the stable countries in this region.

King: There is an understanding inside of Islam that these are what we call the khawarej — the outlaws of Islam. We are having a better understanding in this dialogue inside of Islam that this is a threat to the very core of our religion. And this is the challenge that I think we have had with the West, when many at times were asked: Are you a moderate Muslim or an extremist Muslim? No, I am a Muslim, these people are khawarej. And I think this is a debate that has taken a while to happen inside of Islam.

And I think the problem is the interpretations you get from the West is sort of the horror that they may do to the West, is what they are inflicting on fellow Muslims, which is what is shocking to all of us. So, again, if you look at Islamic history, khawarej in a way have never lasted. Once people understand who they are, it is a blink of an eye.

The problem is we have to put the global differences aside. We need the rest of the world to work with us in this direction. This is why I say it is Muslims, Christians, Jews, other religions, all of us fighting this global fight together. It is a war inside of Islam. It is our civil war, but we cannot do it by ourselves.

Kumar: If we change tack slightly, and we look at the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, on another of your borders, the western border, where peace there seems pretty much impossible at the moment. Do you think that a change of leadership is required to re-start, to kick-start that peace process, and what role can Jordan play?

King: Well, it is not for me to say about leaders. The leaders represent their own people. But what I will say is that we have to have an ability to solve the Israeli-Palestinian problem, especially with what I have been talking about.

So, to see an extremist trying to create a problem in the Holy City of Jerusalem, when we are dealing with this global war on extremism, makes no sense at all. We are dealing with this international problem and we are leaving it to certain extremists that want to create a religious conflict in Jerusalem, is to me asinine.

And every single time there is no negotiation violence flares.

Israelis hate it when we say that the Palestinian issue is part of the problem, the extremists use the plight of the Palestinians and Jerusalem as their rallying cry. So, that is part of the problem. We have to take the future of the Palestinians and Jerusalem as something that we have to solve, otherwise, how are we going to win this global problem if there is denial on the Israeli side that it has got nothing to do with them.

Kumar: And we see so much, so many crises on different fronts. We see the refugee crisis, we see ISIL/Daesh, we see economic crises and we also see proxy wars taking place on so many different fronts. Do you get the impression that things are beginning to spiral out of control?

King: Well, somebody said once to me it is just a Wednesday. I mean, it is a normal day’s work, I think, in this part of the world these days.

It is tough times, there is no doubt about that, but what I have seen recently is more of an awareness of the larger picture, more of an awareness of how to look at this strategically as opposed to tactically because quite honestly we have been tactical for the past several years.

There are a lot of things that I cannot really say in this interview, but there are meetings of minds around the world where there is a more strategic approach to these issues.

So, again, for example, the presence of the Russians in Syria has an opportunity to move this in the right direction. If we’re mature about it, if we all reach out to each other and try and find a solution for the Syrian people to try and finally bring this horrible conflict to an end for the betterment of the Syrian people, to try and bridge the gap between the Russians and the West, which will lead us to being able to have alliances elsewhere.

There are opportunities here. So, it all comes down to us. Are we going to grab those opportunities or are we going to stick our heads in the sand and let these opportunities take us past? It is up to us.

Kumar: Your Majesty, many thanks for joining us on “The Global Conversation”.

King: Thank you very much.

AMMAN — The Cabinet on Wednesday approved the mandating reasons for draft amendments to the Penal Code that stiffen penalties against assailants of educators and medical personnel.

The amended law, which was referred to the Legislation and Opinion Bureau, stipulates no less than one-year imprisonment for those who assault teachers, faculty members at colleges and universities, nurses and doctors while they are on duty, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, quoted Justice Minister Bassam Talhouni as saying.

The punishment also applies if the educators or healthcare workers are attacked for an action or decision they have taken in their professional capacity.

Talhouni said the amendment was introduced to respect these professionals, voicing readiness to amend any laws that can stop the “shameful” phenomena of assaults against educators, doctors and nurses.

The decision comes after the Council of Ministers directed the ministerial legal committee to study stiffening these penalties in light of recurrent assaults, Petra reported.

On Wednesday, the Jordan Teachers Association (JTA) reported two new cases of assaults on teachers.

In the Western Badia, a student’s parent reportedly hit a teacher at Musharafeh Secondary School for Boys.

Teachers at the school observed a strike on Wednesday in protest against the attack, a JTA statement said.

In the second incident, a group of young men reportedly barged into the Mazraa Secondary School for Girls in Mafraq and prevented teachers from organising the morning assembly, levelling insults and threats against educators and students.

The teachers had to call the police to intervene, and the assailants escaped, another JTA statement said.

The syndicate condemned the incidents and called for immediate action to curb the phenomenon.

Over 70 assaults have been registered against teachers since the beginning of this year, according to the JTA.

AMMAN — The heavy rainfall that caused floods in downtown Amman last Thursday has prompted many merchants to prepare for similar conditions after sustaining major losses due to the damage to their goods.

Merchants interviewed by The Jordan Times said they want to depend on themselves, charging that officials let them down over the past weekend. 

The Garment Traders Association estimates the total value of damage caused by the floods at over JD5 million.

Some merchants said traders whose shops are on Petra Street behind Al Husseini Mosque and at Suq Sukkar, one of the oldest outdoor markets in the area, incurred huge losses. 

Anwar Zghair, whose shop was most affected by the floods according to many of his neighbours, recalled that the rainwater started gushing into downtown Amman after 8am and the level rose to one metre on the street. 

“Water flooded stores located in lower areas in downtown Amman and they were inundated in a short time,” he said.  

Zghair noted that all the food items he had stored at warehouses were damaged in the floods, estimating his losses at JD50,000. 

“We will start preparing for winter, and remove all the items that were completely damaged from the warehouses. We will not keep such commodities there during winter,” the merchant said. 

“I was completely devastated because I now have no warehouse and will have to get a limited number of goods because I don’t have the space to store them,” added Zghair, who opened his shop on Petra Street in 1966.  

Since Thursday, Mohammad Rahhal, who owns a toy store on the same street, has been working with others to clean up the lower floor of the facility every morning and remove the merchandise that was destroyed by the deluge. 

Having “lost hope” in “proper preparations” by authorities, Rahhal started constructing a wall to prevent floodwater from entering his premises. 

“We have not calculated the losses because we are still clearing up,” he told The Jordan Times.

Issam Bawab, another foodstuff merchant, is taking similar measures.

“I began building a barrier at the front door of the store to prevent flooding. The rainwater damaged all the goods and we have not sold anything since last Thursday; tomorrow [Thursday] we will start bringing new supplies,” he added.  

Bawab, who incurred JD25,000 in losses, said he does not dare keep the merchandise in his shop and is going to rent a  warehouse for that purpose during winter.  

The merchants had different opinions on the reasons behind their losses, with some accusing officials of not doing their job and others simply blaming the heavy rainfall. 

Zghair said Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) employees did not show up in downtown Amman and traders had to wait for six hours for Civil Defence Department personnel to pump out the water. 

Rahhal noted that the drainage system did not function properly, adding that GAM should have prepared the infrastructure for such eventualities. 

Abdul Moati Bader, whose foodstuff store was also affected by the downpour, said the rain was “exceptional”. 

“After some minutes, the whole street was flooded — I have never seen anything like it.”   

Zghair called on officials to compensate the shopowners. “I hope that they at least cover 25 or 30 per cent of the losses.”

Some of the damaged stores are covered by insurance, while others are not, and those insured will be compensated once the damage costs are calculated, Amman Chamber of Commerce President Issa Murad told The Jordan Times earlier this week.“The merchants’ major complaint is that they were not warned of the sudden heavy downpour; therefore, they were not prepared,” Murad added. 

AMMAN — International efforts to create a weapons of mass destruction free zone (WMDFZ) in the region must “avoid double standards and selective application of the law”, an official said Wednesday.

Speaking at the opening of the eighth Amman Security Colloquium, Jordan Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Khaled Toukan added that world powers have worked against the atomic programmes developed by some Arab countries, including Egypt, Syria and Iraq, while the same countries overlooked Israel’s nuclear capabilities.

Toukan noted that these Arab countries have signed the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty that prohibits developing atomic capabilities except for peaceful purposes, while Israel has refused to sign.

These double standards have contributed to the region’s insecurity, a matter that all countries in the Middle East and North Africa should discuss with influential countries with nuclear capabilities in order to enforce international law equally.

Meanwhile, Jordan’s peaceful nuclear project, which started in early 2008, seeks to develop human capacities for related research purposes, generate power and utilise the Kingdom’s uranium reserves, Toukan told an audience of international experts at the colloquium, organised by Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung at the University of Jordan.

“The aim of the project is to address the county’s growing power problem, which has recently become a threat to the national economy in light of the lack of fossil fuel and the complete dependence on importing fuel from a region that is undergoing political changes,” he said.

Toukan said intensive measures are being taken to ensure the project is safe and transparent.

For her part, Rose Gottemoeller, US undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, highlighted the significance of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between the P5+1 and Iran in promoting a WMDFZ in this part of the world.

Tehran’s implementation of the deal remains crucial, she said, as the lack of commitment will result in reinstating sanctions against Iran, adding that the success of a WMDFZ depends on the willingness of countries and the assistance of outside parties.

However, there is a “gap” between the commitment of states in the region and Israel’s lack of commitment, but “progress is possible” in the case of face-to-face dialogue, Gottemoeller noted. 

Daesh is another challenge to declaring the region a WMDFZ, said NATO Assistant Secretary General Sorin Ducaru, citing concern over the possibility that the terrorist group could use chemical weapons in Syria.

He said the terror group’s “violent ideology” fuels extremism and sectarianism that already exist in the region, adding that the world “must be prepared for worse”.

To combat that threat, the international community must adopt a “broad multinational” effort that does not only use military force to counter Daesh, but also integrates economic, financial and cyber control.

Commenting on Jordan’s efforts in this field in the region, Ducaru said the Kingdom is “one of the NATO’s closest partners”, citing current work on a multi-year project to build Jordan’s capacity to face cyberattacks. 

AMMAN — Only 13 people are behind the violations committed in the forests of Ajloun and Jerash, but they remain free to repeat their actions, according to the Agriculture Ministry.

“We have identified these 13 assailants and informed the concerned authorities to summon them,” Eid Zu’bi, director of the Agriculture Ministry’s Forestry Department said. 

“Unfortunately these people are still on the loose although they are wanted for other crimes.”

Zu’bi added that the ministry has no authority to summon or prosecute these people, stressing that the assaults on forests in Ajloun and Jerash will end “once these 13 people are in prison”.

“These people even use unlicensed cars or cars with no licence plates while committing their crimes against forests.”

Arsonists are suspected to be behind the frequent fires that erupt in forested areas across the Kingdom, with authorities blaming what they describe as the “logging mafia”. 

Forests in Jordan constitute less than 1 per cent of the country’s total area of 97,000 square kilometres.

Jordan is among the poorest countries worldwide in terms of forest cover, with the internationally accepted average of land covered by forests standing at 15 per cent of the total area.

Zu’bi said his department has sent official letters to the interior minister to summon these people.

He also explained that illegal loggers cannot be tackled only through “administrative detention”.

“They can serve prison terms under the Agriculture Law. They are also wanted on other charges,” Zu’bi said, noting that “why they are still free remains a mystery”. 

Under environmental regulations, those who cut down forest trees without a licence face a three-month prison term, a JD100 fine for each tree chopped down from state-owned land and a JD50 fine for each one from private land. In addition, their equipment is confiscated.

In October, the Public Security Department’s (PSD) Rangers, in cooperation with the Agriculture Ministry’s forestry department, announced that they would increase patrols to curb violations on forests, especially with the onset of winter.

The PSD said administrative and legal procedures would be taken against violators and that the department would enhance surveillance and prosecution against random logging, adding that the decision aims to preserve the Kingdom’s forests.

Under the law, logging of perennial trees can only occur after receiving special permits issued by the Agriculture Ministry. This guarantees that no damage comes to the Kingdom’s environment or forests.

A total of 12,000 violations have been recorded on bare forestry lands, Agriculture Minister Akef Zu’bi said in recent remarks, highlighting that 7,000-8,000 of those breaches occurred in the last 25 years.

Forestry lands amount to 1.5 million dunums, of which 250,000 dunums are bare, 400,000 dunums are natural forests, 500,000 dunums are planted forests and 350,000 are nature reserves, according to the Forestry Department.

AMMAN — Public schools will have warm classrooms this winter, with measures under way to install central heating, an official source said Wednesday.

The Education Ministry has tasked directors of education departments with ensuring that the necessary renovation work is carried out in all schools ahead of the cold season, said Sami Salaytah, the ministry’s secretary general for technical and administrative affairs.

“We provided schools with diesel a month ago and there is also a Royal makruma to provide 500 heaters to the coldest schools,” he told The Jordan Times.

He cited a several-phase project to replace heaters in classrooms with central heating.

“This is the end goal, but for now the ministry has floated a tender to purchase 1,500 heaters for schools that might need additional heating,” Salaytah added.

Earlier this year, His Majesty King Abdullah directed the government to install central heating at public schools across the Kingdom in a several-phase project.

In the first phase of the project, funded by His Majesty, central heating was installed in 50 schools located in “extremely cold areas” based on priority.

The government was tasked with undertaking the implementation of the project’s following phases to cover all public schools.

In parallel with this initiative, King Abdullah directed officials at the Royal Court to study all available options, especially renewable energy utilisation, to provide heating at public schools.

The pilot project will be studied and then implemented in two schools in the first phase, whereby they will be provided with heating through solar power.

According to official figures, there are 3,760 public schools in Jordan, where 1.287 million students are enrolled, and around 80,000 teachers and 10,000 principals work.

AMMAN — The Cabinet is currently studying a draft law that obliges housing companies to become members of the Jordan Housing Developers Association (JHDA), the syndicate’s president, Fawaz Hassan, said Wednesday.

Hassan recounted an incident in which a person opened an office and “scammed people who bought houses through him”, urging the public to make sure that the housing companies they deal with are registered with the JHDA. 

The association currently encompasses 2,700 companies, he told The Jordan Times in a phone interview.

When a housing company is a member of the JHDA, the public can be protected, Hassan said, as the association, in cooperation with the Jordan National Building Council at the Ministry of Public Works and Housing, will have the authority to hold housing companies accountable for any negligence or violation of standards when implementing housing projects, Hassan explained in a statement.

In the statement, he stressed the importance of abiding by residential properties’ blueprints and building parking lots in the basement instead of turning them into housing units.

Hassan also renewed the JHDA’s demand to amend the by-law regulating construction in Amman by allowing a fifth storey in new buildings to accommodate additional apartments instead of having basement flats in the spaces designated for parking.

Article 9 of the by-law governing residential buildings Amman limits them to four storeys.