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AMMAN — The army has thwarted attempts by five people to infiltrate the border over the past 72 hours, a source at the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army said Sunday. Border Guards caught two people attempting to illegally cross into a neighbouring country, the source told the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

The guards also prevented three “foreigners” from entering Jordan illegally from a neighbouring country, the source added. The detained infiltrators were referred to the concerned authorities.

AMMAN — King’s Adviser for Military Affairs and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff Gen. Mashal Al Zaben met on Sunday with Canadian Ambassador to Jordan Bruno Saccomani.

The discussions, attended by HRH Prince Feisal, covered military cooperation, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

AMMAN — Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh on Sunday stressed his rejection of jailing journalists over published material.

At two separate meetings with media delegates, Tarawneh urged journalists to present suggestions on the various laws related to press freedom, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

He expressed readiness to form a committee comprising lawmakers and media practitioners to examine laws regulating the media and work towards addressing any loopholes or problems.

AMMAN — Jordan and the EU on Sunday signed a grant agreement worth 52 million euros to support the implementation of the Skills for Employment and Social Inclusion Programme.

Planning and International Cooperation Minister Imad Fakhoury and Michael Koehler, director of neighbourhood policy at the EU, signed the agreement, a ministry statement said.

The grant will help provide additional financial resources via the state budget to carry out further activities in line with the National Employment Strategy 2011-2020 and the Employment and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ETVET) Strategy 2014-2020, the statement quoted Fakhoury as saying.

It aims at supporting policy making and planning across ministries, other institutions of the TVET system and social partners, and at improving the relevance, quality, effectiveness and attractiveness of technical and vocational education, and training for employability, the minister added.

It also aims at increasing the number of people in education and training, particularly women, young people and people with disabilities, and enhancing the role of social partners and civil society organisations in promoting employment and human resource development.

In addition, the EU will sign a grant contract titled “EU Support to Jordan’s Response to the Syrian Crisis/Private Sector Development”, Fakhoury said at Sunday’s ceremony. 

The 5-million euro contract is a contribution to enhance Jordan’s response to the Syrian crisis through stimulating economic development in the northern governorates, the ministry statement said.

The project will be implemented by a consortium led by the Luminus Group (Al Quds College) through establishing an innovation centre to provide comprehensive services to start-up companies.

The EU has previously presented 12.5 million euros as a first tranche of 55 million euros to support the Education Ministry’s budget in responding to the Syrian refugee crisis.

The amount is aimed at enhancing services to 140,000 Syrian children and helping them integrate into the educational system for the 2015-16 and 2016-17 academic years, the statement added.

Fakhoury thanked the EU for offering this “timely” support to Jordan.

“Indeed, the EU is a key and strategic partner in Jordan’s development and reform process and we continue to count on the EU’s financial and technical support to realise our future developmental objectives,” he added.

AMMAN — Jordanians have expressed concern that heavy rainfall could "cripple" their daily lives as the wet season approaches, reflecting on the damage brought about by the downpour last Thursday, which killed four people.

Facebook user Yazeed Kanaan expressed "fear" of rainfall after last week's floods, describing the public institutions' response to the crisis as ineffectual.

Another user, Hada Abu Shahout, said she hoped city officials would take these events as seriously as average citizens do.

Last Thursday, the main concern for Amer Khalil, a father of two living in the capital's Hai Nazzal neighbourhood, was to make sure his kids were safe at home after their schools decided to suspend classes while he was "stuck" at work in the Khalda area.

"It is illogical for the capital to have a poor sanitation system," he told The Jordan Times over the phone, adding that the city needs a comprehensive maintenance campaign for the entire sanitation network, which the last rains showed was "full of dirt".

In order to evaluate institutional shortcomings during the recent unstable weather, Interior Minister Salameh Hammad, who heads the Higher Civil Defence Council, submitted an initial report on the flash floods, which resulted in the four deaths and widespread property damage.

The government will study the report and decide if damages occurred due to the Greater Amman Municipality's (GAM) inadequate performance or because of exceptional weather conditions, Government Spokesperson Mohammad Momani said at a Cabinet meeting on Sunday.

He added that those found guilty would be punished, noting that while natural disasters resulting in deaths occur all over the world, Jordan should learn from its experience with flooding.

Momani offered condolences to the families of those who died in the floods.

For his part, Imad Hiyari, deputy city director for planning affairs at GAM, said the municipality was identifying the locations of weaknesses in buildings and roads, and will take the necessary measures to "ensure the safety of residents", according to a statement carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

But Issam Qadamani, an economist and Al Rai columnist, suggested that GAM should prioritise essential maintenance work on roads and sanitation networks, which is more urgent than other, less important "income-generating" tasks.

In an article published on Saturday, he said infrastructure defects were revealed last winter, but GAM did not "rectify" the problems over the summer.

Meanwhile, former industry and trade minister Wasif Azar pointed to "shortcomings in politics and city planning" throughout consecutive GAM councils and ministerial teams, arguing that corruption and personal financial interests were behind the "arbitrary" expansion of the city. 

Future expansion should be towards the eastern desert areas, not the southern and western agricultural lands, Azar told The Jordan Times over the phone, suggesting satellite cities 40-50 kilometres from the main city as an option that could alleviate pressure on infrastructure, while still providing residents with work opportunities.

The city's infrastructure must provide sanitation services not only for Amman’s growing population but for workers coming from other governorates, including Balqa, Zarqa and Madaba, to work in the capital, Azar added.

He said "vertical expansion" and multi-storey buildings must be served by advanced sanitation systems.

Jordan Engineers Association (JEA) President Majid Tabaa called for revamping the capital's infrastructure, which he said should be a national priority for the government.

In a JEA statement, Tabaa said the association should be examine infrastructure projects as a quality assurance measure to ensure that they are in line with building codes and international standards.

At present, water and wastewater network projects are not examined by the JEA, the statement said.

In a related development, a Social Development Ministry committee is assessing the damage caused by the floods, visiting 115 homes affected by the rain so far, Petra quoted the minister, Reem Abu Hassan, as saying.

Compensation for affected families will be calculated based on the household's average income, the number of family members and the type of damage, in addition to other factors, Abu Hassan added.

After calculating the damage, the ministry, in cooperation with private sector partners, will begin maintenance work on the houses and contribute to restoring furniture, she noted.

The ministry has also prepared a shelter with the capacity to house around 1,000 people in cooperation with its affiliate societies, Petra reported.

AMMAN – Electricity tariffs will not be increased next year, Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications Mohammad Momani announced Sunday. 

“Power tariffs will remain as they are currently, the minister, who is also the government spokesperson, said at a press conference to reveal the draft budget law for 2016. He added that the government is considering a move to exit the sector and leave it to supply and demand. 

In 2014, the government increased prices of electricity for households and industries with a monthly consumption of more than 600kWh and 10,000kWh respectively, as part of a 15 per cent gradual hike in prices to offset the state-owned National Electric Power Company’s (NEPCO) debts, which are paid by the Treasury. 

However, due to public and Lower House pressure, tariffs for 2015 were raised by 7.5 per cent.

Minister of Finance Umayya Toukan said low oil prices have reduced NEPCO’s financial losses from JD1.3 billion in 2014 to JD250 million this year. 

As the government has been relying heavily on liquefied natural gas for power generation over the past five months, NEPCO is expected to reach cost break-even next year as no financial losses are expected, Toukan added. 

He noted that
NEPCO’s financial losses over the past four years were estimated at JD5 billion, blaming the company’s losses for widening the Kingdom’s public debt. 

Rising public debt was not due to expanded government spending but because of
NEPCO’s financial troubles, Momani said, adding that the government is considering exiting both the electricity and water sectors to get rid of subsidies, which he described as flaws in the economy. 

Finance Ministry Secretary General Ezeddin Kanakriyeh told reporters that NEPCO is expected to issue Islamic sukuk worth JD150 million before the end of this year to buy its needs for power generation.

AMMAN — The UN Development Programme (UNDP) sees the capital as the "ideal location" for its Regional Hub for Arab States (RHAB), UNDP Administrator Helen Clark said Sunday. 

"[Amman's] central location in the region along with its wealth of local talent, are of enormous benefit to UNDP's work across the Arab states," Clark noted at the inauguration of the RHAB premises.

Clark, who opened the RHAB with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh in an official ceremony, said its purpose is to enable the UNDP to support countries in the region to advance human and sustainable development. 

RHAB helps the UNDP follow up with regional challenges as they emerge, and enables it to be "more effective and efficient" with its resources at a time when partners "are eager to see clear value for every investment", according to Clark. 

"Some countries [in the region] are experiencing a challenging mix of major political transitions, entrenched poverty, and ongoing conflicts and crises, all of which have significant impacts on development," she said, adding that UNDP's work to reduce poverty and build resilience to crises "has never been more critical in this region".

In his speech, Judeh said Amman's selection as the location for the hub is "an extremely important message not just to the region but to the rest of the world", reflecting Jordan's stability and security.

The minister noted that he signed the agreement to establish the RHAB with UNDP Regional Bureau for Arab States Director Sima Bahous around a year ago, on the sidelines of the 69th UN General Assembly.

Voicing hope that Amman will be the centre of a stable region in the future, Judeh said the Kingdom looks forward to receiving support from the international community. 

"We keep talking about the international community as a singular because we believe that the international community has to act as one," he added.

Also on Sunday, on the sidelines of the inauguration, Bahous and Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation (MBRF) Managing Director Jamal Bin Huwaireb signed a new partnership agreement.

The UNDP and MBRF are currently developing the first Arab Knowledge Index, a summary measure that reflects knowledge accumulation, production and consumption from a development perspective, taking into consideration the specific socio-cultural context, needs and challenges of the Arab region, a joint UNDP-MBRF statement said. 

When the index is released along with the "Knowledge 4 All" digital portal that will be built around it, they will be tools for monitoring and advocating for knowledge-based development in the Arab region, the statement added.

The partnership agreement launches a five-year second phase of the collaborative effort between UNDP and MBRF on the Arab Knowledge Project, a regional programme, which started in 2007.

"This fruitful partnership is inspired by a shared vision of promoting knowledge for sustainable development in the Arab Region," Bahous said after signing the agreement.

AMMAN — Investigators have concluded that there is no suspicion of foul play in the deaths of Soraya and Jumana Salti who fell off the roof of an under-construction building in the Jweideh area on Friday, the Public Security Department (PSD) said Sunday. 

A PSD media centre statement said that a preliminary investigation committee reached that conclusion after examining the evidence and witness testimonies.

Evidence included a letter addressed to their parents, with the handwriting identified as belonging to one of the sisters, the statement said.

The forensic medicine report said the cause of death was severe multiple trauma consistent with the incidence of falling from a great height and crashing onto a solid surface.

No previous injuries unrelated to the cause of death were detected, according to the PSD.

An eyewitness, the guard of a nearby building who reported the incident to the authorities, said he heard the sound of something hitting the ground, and — upon inspecting the area — saw the bodies of the two women.

The witness said he did not see another person in the vicinity or leaving the area in southeast Amman, according to the PSD statement.

Another witness, a woman who resides in an apartment opposite the under-construction building, said she saw a vehicle that stopped near the building, and a woman stepping out hurriedly.

The woman, the witness said according to the PSD, “looked nervous” while entering the under-construction building. She was followed by another woman who was also in a hurry.

The witness added that she did not see anyone else in the area. After a while, she saw PSD personnel and learned that the two women fell, the statement said.

The collected evidence, witness statements, and the crime lab and forensic reports will be referred to the south Amman prosecutor general, who will follow through with the necessary legal measures in the case, the PSD statement said.       

Aged 45 and 37, the Saltis, who have Jordanian and US nationalities, were successful businesswomen and from a prominent Jordanian family. 

Soraya, who used to serve as the regional director of Injaz Al Arab, was named among Arabian Business’ Top 100 Most Powerful Arab Women in 2013.

Jumana, who used to play for the national basketball team, was a director at PricewaterhouseCoopers in the UAE. 

The US embassy in Amman on Sunday mourned their death, describing them as “important members of the Jordanian and American communities”. 

“We are in touch with Soraya and Jumana’s family, and our sympathy is with the Salti family at this difficult time.  We are cooperating with the Jordanian police’s full investigation of this matter,” a spokesperson from the embassy said in a statement.

Over the past two days, friends and acquaintances of the sisters expressed shock over the news and paid tribute to their achievements.

“Soraya was one of the kindest and most soft-hearted [people] I have ever worked with. A true angel, a hard worker and sincere... I wrote her the longest recommendation letter in my entire professional life. She used to help everyone. Her absence is unbearable. May she rest in peace,” Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority Deputy Chief Commissioner Yusuf Mansur wrote on his Facebook page.

Former deputy prime minister Marwan Muasher also mourned the death of the sisters, saying they were “an example of vitality, love of life and enthusiasm”.

“I was the basketball coach of Jumana when she was eight. I pray to God to give their parents patience and fortitude,” he wrote on his Facebook page.

Former ICT minister Marwan Juma said Soraya was “vibrant, inspiring, positive, energetic and full of life”.

In a Facebook post, he wrote: “… This is how Soraya should be remembered and how her memory should be honoured! May yours and Jumana’s beautiful souls rest in eternal peace!”

AMMAN — Industrialists continued to protest against a recent government decision they deem "destructive" to national industries by holding a sit-in outside the Industry and Trade Ministry on Sunday.

Last month, the Cabinet decided to lower sales tax and customs duties on several items.

Under the new decision, which was published in the Official Gazette, the sales tax on clothes, bags, watches, perfume, jewellery, toys and cosmetics was reduced from 16 to 8 per cent, while the customs duties on these items were lowered by between 5 and 30 per cent.

Amman Chamber of Industry (ACI) Chairman Ziad Homsi said industrialists and sector leaders alike were "shocked" by the decision.

"We were not consulted. We always hear talk about public-private partnerships, but decisions concerning the sector are presented as fait accompli," Homsi told The Jordan Times.

He noted that the ACI sat last week with the Industry, Trade and Supply Minister Maha Ali, and she promised that the ministry will study the matter and try to reach a compromise that would satisfy all parties involved.

"Still nothing has been done. We believe that lowering the customs duties from 30 to 5 per cent will destroy local industries," the ACI chairman said.

There are 1,010 factories manufacturing clothes and shoes registered in the Jordan Chamber of Industry, and they have 49,445 employees, according to the ACI.

Ali met with representatives of the footwear and bag industry on Sunday and listened to their views on the customs duty cuts, according to a statement from the ministry.

She said the ministry is committed to enhancing the local industrial sector's competitiveness and will study industrialists' demands and possible measures to address the issue.

The Amman Chamber of Commerce (ACC) has praised the government decision, which was made in response to the commercial sector's demands to reduce taxes and fees on items that serve the national economy.

The chamber described the decision as positive considering the Kingdom’s difficult economic circumstances and the decline in commercial activity affecting different sectors, according to a statement sent to The Jordan Times last month. 

The ACC also called on the government to reconsider taxes and fees imposed on many food items, whose prices constantly change to avoid entering the Kingdom illegally, the statement added.

"Such a decision would contribute to curbing tax evasion and supporting social classes with limited income, as decreasing taxes leads to lower prices and more protection for these segments, the chamber said.

Reducing taxes shows the government’s keenness to provide real social security to its citizens, the ACC said.

AMMAN — Washington announced plans on Sunday to build 25 new public schools in Jordan with $100 million in US assistance through USAID.

The plans are in line with the “Let Girls Learn” US government initiative launched earlier this year by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, according to a White House statement released by the US embassy in Amman.

The initiative addresses “the range of challenges preventing adolescent girls from attending and completing school and realising their potential as adults”, the statement said.

To that end, 70 per cent of the projected schools in Jordan will be for girls.

“Many students in Jordan currently learn in overcrowded classrooms and schools, and efforts to accommodate Syrian refugees [have] made the situation more acute. Many of these new schools will be constructed in urban areas with overcrowded schools, helping to alleviate pressures on Jordan’s education system,” the statement said. 

The schools are projected to accommodate 25,000 students each year.

Since 2006, USAID’s Jordan School Construction and Rehabilitation Project has put $199 million towards the construction of 28 new schools and the renovation or expansion of an additional 97 schools, according to the statement. 

“Today’s announcement underscores the work Jordan and the United States are collaborating on to further girls’ education initiatives... The United States commends Jordan for its efforts to ensure equitable access to education and give Jordanian and Syrian young women the tools they need for a better future,” the statement said.