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AMMAN — Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour said Monday that the government is working for “genuine plans for financial management reform”, including a system under which citizens’ financial obligations will be accessed through a unified database.

The measure has been included as an amendment in the Tax Law, which the premier said has already been drafted and will be presented Tuesday to the Economic Development Committee.

The amendment allows a clearance process of citizens’ financial claims and obligations, the premier explained during an unannounced visit to the Customs Department where he met with its Director Munther Assaf and Finance Ministry Secretary General Izzeddin Kanakrieh, the Jordan New Agency, Petra, reported. 

Ensour described the amendment as a “key tax reform”. 

During the meeting, Ensour stressed the importance of simplifying the procedures of customs transactions for investors and importers as well as easing the process of customs clearance so as to stimulate economic performance. 

Ensour has been conducting surprise visits to a number of government agencies concerned with investment amid efforts to improve the climate for doing business in Jordan. 

AMMAN — Jordan ranked first among the Arab states and 78th globally in the Human Freedom Index (HFI) for this year.

The report, issued by the US-based Cato Institute, Canada’s Fraser Institute and Germany’s Liberales Institut at the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, showed that Jordan was first among the Arab states and was ahead of Lebanon which ranked third place and Bahrain, which landed in fourth place.

The report, which covers issues including the rule of law, religion, expression, freedom to trade internationally, business regulation and legal system, showed that Kuwait came fifth and was followed by Oman, Tunisia, Qatar, the UAE, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Algeria and Yemen respectively.

In the personal freedom index, Jordan scored 5.89 out of 10. It scored 7.86 in economic freedom and 3.8 in the democracy index, the report indicated.

Covering 152 countries and based on data from 2012, the most recent available, the HFI is “the most comprehensive freedom index so far created for a globally meaningful set of countries”, according to Cato.

In terms of the rule of law Jordan scored 5.4 out of 10. In terms of security and safety it scored 7.7, while in movement it got 8.3 points, the report indicated.

In religious freedoms, it scored 7.5 points; expression and information (5.9); assembly and civil society (6.9).

In its report covering data from 2011, Jordan ranked 82nd globally in the Human Freedom Index.

Commenting on the report, Basel Tarawneh, the government coordinator on human rights, said: “This is a great achievement for Jordan and a testimony to the successful collaboration between civil society organisations and the government agencies.”

“There are great efforts exerted by all stakeholders to enhance freedoms and human rights in Jordan, and the Kingdom has a strategy for supporting human rights that will play a key role in advancing Jordan’s position in this field,” he told The Jordan Times on Monday.

“We need to do more to further enhance our position and Jordan has always been keen on taking recommendations by local and international agencies into account,” he said.

Founded in 1977, the Cato Institute is a public policy research organisation dedicated to the principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets and peace.

AMMAN — Public expenditure on the Karak Governorate development programme between 2016 and 2018 is expected to stand at around JD213.101 million, Planning and International Cooperation Minister Imad Fakhoury said Monday.

At a meeting with representatives of various sectors in the governorate, some 140km south of Amman, Fakhoury said the estimated cost of development projects for 2016 is JD66.746 million, while it stands at JD68.763 million for 2017, and JD77.592 million for 2018, according to a ministry statement.

Stressing that the development programme should take the challenges facing the governorate into consideration, the minister said these problems include having three poverty pockets in the governorate — Ghour Al Safi, Mujib and Ghour Al Mazraa districts — in addition to having a high rate of unemployment which stands at 12.6 per cent in Karak compared with 11.9 per cent nationwide.

Fakhoury also highlighted the government’s commitment to adopting the outcomes of the 2016-2018 Karak development programme.

As a southern governorate affected by the Syrian refugee influx, Fakhoury said around $3.57 million in funds has been approved in the Jordan Response Plan for projects in Karak, adding the ministry is still contacting the international community to urge donors to contribute further to alleviate the refugee burden.

To benefit from investment opportunities in Karak, according to the investment map for the southern governorates, he said the government will cooperate with funds and microfinance institutions to direct their funding towards these potential investments.

The ministry will also work with the Jordan Investment Commission to promote these opportunities and draw in investors, Fakhoury said, highlighting plans to raise young people’s awareness of microfinance institutions and means to obtain funding from them.

Also speaking at the meeting — which brought together lawmakers, local community leaders and representatives of the youth, women’s and private sectors —  Karak Governor Abdullah Al Khattab stressed the need to focus on economic development first and foremost, since it is the way to establish a modern state.

He noted that comprehensive development can only be achieved with the participation of all components of society.

AMMAN — The government on Monday decided to lower the prices of fuel derivatives as of Tuesday by between around 9.6 and 11 per cent.

Under the decision, issued by Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Maha Ali, one litre of unleaded 90-octane gasoline will drop by some 9.6 per cent, from JD0.62 to JD0.56, while a litre of unleaded 95-octane gasoline will drop by around 9.4 per cent, from JD0.80 to JD0.725.

The price of one litre of diesel and kerosene will go down to JD0.405 from JD0.455, registering a drop of around 11 per cent.

The price of the 12-kilogramme gas cylinder, used for cooking and in winter for heating purposes, will go down to JD7.25 from JD7.50, under the new pricing list, at a 3.3 per cent drop.

A government pricing committee meets monthly to adjust prices in a manner that corresponds to changes in oil prices on the international market.

Prices of oil derivatives in the local market are calculated based on international prices of oil, with the addition of other costs such as shipment, handling and taxes.

In remarks to The Jordan Times last week, Gas Stations Owners Association President Fahed Al Fayez expected a drop between 10 and 12 per cent in the prices of oil derivatives, basing his assumption on the decline in the price of Brent crude, which stood at around $45.46 per barrel in August.

AMMAN — Academics and columnists on Monday welcomed His Majesty King Abdullah’s remarks on festive firing, in which he said the issue will be seriously dealt with and measures will be taken to end it.

At a meeting on Sunday with dignitaries representing Amman communities, the King stressed that no one is above the law. “Even if it were my son who is shooting… I would ask security bodies to take the same measures against him.”

“This is an unusual, important and radical step that was taken by the King to put an end to this dangerous and disturbing phenomenon,” said Musa Shteiwi, director of the University of Jordan’s Centre for Strategic Studies.

Shteiwi added that the King was clear in his message that “this issue will not be tolerated and that no one is above the law.”

“I think the King is sending a clear message to the officials and the people that... favouritism is out of the question,” Shteiwi told The Jordan Times.

The King said he saw the online video that went viral a few days ago showing a child killed by mistake while a man was reloading his gun at a wedding reception, stressing that this must not be allowed to happen.

“From now on, we will take all measures against anyone who uses arms at occasions and celebrations, and we will not allow festive firing to kill another child,” His Majesty said. 

Security bodies in the various governorates should see to this, the King told Amman dignitaries, leading figures and military veterans at the Royal Court, pointing out that it is a red line for him.  

Al Ghad Columnist Mohammad Abu Rumman welcomed these remarks.

“This is an excellent and important step by the King to intervene personally and stand against [festive firing],” Abu Rumman told The Jordan Times.

He added that King Abdullah also touched on a sensitive issue “in a smart way, which is that the law, in these events, will be applied against everyone equally”.

“There has always been a fear that there would be inequality in applying the law when it comes to festive firing. But it is clear from the King’s message that no one will be above the law, including his own son,” Abu Rumman added.

In its editorial on Monday, Al Rai Arabic daily also praised the King’s “firm stance against the festive firing phenomenon”.

Meanwhile, Government Spokesperson Mohammad Momani on Monday said the King’s remarks on celebratory gunfire are “considered orders, and political and social directives to all concerned authorities and citizens, stressing that there will be no favouritism for this horrible action”.

“The government will adopt strict measures including beefing up police patrols near social occasions to make sure that the law will be applied,” Momani told The Jordan Times.

“The minister said that the government issued instructions to governors and mayors that favouritism was out of the question and that everyone will be prosecuted before the law,” he added.

Last week, the Public Security Department (PSD) announced stiff measures against violators, including locking up any groom whose wedding includes festive shooting.

“The groom will spend his honeymoon in prison if shooting occurs during his wedding to celebrate the occasion,” PSD Director Maj. Gen. Atef Saudi told Amen FM, the PSD radio.

Saudi urged the public to call 911 and report any shooting incident that occurs at a wedding party near them “and we will be there”.

The PSD pledged to conduct campaigns in various governorates and arrest any person who owns a gun without a licence and/or arrest people who fire weapons in any occasion, and individuals who sell weapons and ammunition for this purpose.

Police officers will be present undercover at weddings to identify and arrest violators, the PSD announced.

According to official figures released last October, three people were killed and 41 injured by festive firing in 2014.

At least 21 cases were registered last year against anonymous assailants, where shooters could not be identified, according to the PSD.  

AMMAN — The government’s recent measures to support the tourism sector will help build an environment that can “stimulate and foster” Jordan’s sustainable products and services, said US Ambassador to Jordan Alice G. Wells.

The decisions to stimulate tourism include reducing electricity tariffs for the hospitality sector, waiving visa fees for tourists who utilise Jordanian tour operators, and waiving departure tax and entry visas for all low cost and charter flights flying out of Aqaba, she explained.

Speaking at a meeting organised by the Jordan Indoor Tour Operators Association (JITOA) on Monday, the diplomat said inbound tourism generated JD3.1 billion in 2014 for Jordan, adding that tourism contributes to the gross domestic product by 14 per cent and employs around 10 per cent of women in the workforce.

Due to that significance, the US and Jordan have partnered over the past decades to sustain the strength and prosperity of the “vital sector”, as USAID has to date provided nearly $90 million to support the development of Jordan’s tourism initiatives, she said.

Since 2006, Wells added, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and USAID’s revitalisation of the vocational training system has encouraged over 10,000 young Jordanians, both males and females, to enrol in hospitality and tourism training programmes.

“The United States will continue collaborative efforts like these to support Jordan’s local communities in showcasing their country to the world through truly distinguished visitor experiences,” she noted, adding that Americans usually visit Jordan for religious-based and adventure tourism.

Last year, 120 members and staff members of the US Congress visited Jordan, registering the highest number of visits per year, a matter that reflects US commitment to supporting Jordan’s tourism and is a testament to officials’ “faith in Jordan” as a safe country, the ambassador noted.

In a session titled “Jordan between perception and reality, and its effect on the tourism sector”, she emphasised Jordan as a stand-alone tourism destination. 

“From Um Qais to Aqaba there is so much for tourists to see,” she said.

Monday’s event is the first of a series of
JITOA power breakfasts that will bring together sector stakeholders, international high-level officials and tourism experts to discuss topics in the sector, said
JITOA Chairperson Ghada Najjar.

She highlighted the US market as one of the “oldest and most traditional” tourism markets for Jordan, as the number of US overnight visitors to the Kingdom increased between 2013 and 2014 from around 160,000 to around 170,000.

However, in the first quarter of this year the number of US visitors has dropped by 14 per cent, a decrease that Najjar attributed to regional turmoil, calling for enhancing Jordanian and American efforts in promoting the Kingdom as a safe destination.

For his part, Amman Mayor Aqel Biltaji called for capitalising on “wellness tourism”, which promotes tourism for health, spirituality and adventure purposes, stressing the need for public-private partnerships to boost the sector.

AMMAN — Luai Masri, a Jordanian entrepreneur, came up with an idea earlier this year to create an app to make a change in the way people communicate with each other online and offline. 

Now, the project is listed by tech websites as one of the world’s most promising start-ups. 

The application, called Whatshudoin, enables users to share and discover what people are doing along with their mood, location and picture, said Masri, founder and CEO of Whatshudoin Inc.

Whatshudoin seeks to add value for sharing feelings aside from having them lost amongst other posts like links, videos or news headlines as is now the case on other networks, Masri told The Jordan Times in a recent interview. 

By using this app, users will be able to remember how they felt when taking every photo they post as the mood will be stamped on each one they share online, he said. 

“Being able to know how someone is feeling at a specific time of the day is a great tool that can be helpful for people to better connect and plan things together,” the entrepreneur said, adding that the app is free and available for both iPhone and Android mobile devices. 

The idea behind Whatshudoin is not similar to WhatsApps, he noted.

“WhatsApp is all about sharing messages and media with your phone book contacts and friends. But Whatshudoin is all about sharing how you feel, your location and pictures during a certain moment of the day, users can also share their post on other social platforms like Facebook and Twitter with their mood written on their pictures too.”

“We are working hard to add and create more interesting features and enhance the user experience for everyone to enjoy,” he added.

“After much speculation on how to enhance the concept of online social interactions between people, we decided to go back to basics and connect people together based on their daily actions and moods. Everyone is moody and we should start from that,” Masri said. 

Using a simple button, Whatshudoin enables users to send each other mobile notifications asking “Hey, Whatshudoin?” 

Users can connect with new people who feel the same way they do around their location or all over the world. 

Noting that the platform was launched in the first quarter of this year, he said Whatshudoin is a Silicon Valley- and Jordan-based company that promises to change the way users express their feelings online.

Asked about the current value of the company and if acquisition offers by giant tech companies would be considered, Masri replied it is too early to talk about the company’s valuation and acquisition options as focus is now on developing the app further, and adding more features and enhancements to it before thinking of anything else. 

On business achievements, he said Whatshudoin was showcased at Collision Conference in Las Vegas in May and it was also featured on BBC Arabia, and other websites, adding that it was also listed as one of the world’s most promising start-ups at launchingnext.com and on other tech websites like Producthunt.

Masri said Whatshudoin plans to expand teams in the US and abroad to serve its expanding user base.

“With a great team of engineers, designers and marketing professionals, we see a moody future right ahead of us, and that’s exactly what we’re aiming for.”

AMMAN — Jordan will start studies related to the water, power and infrastructure needs of a $140 million fa-cility for production of yellowcake in 2016, according to Samer Kahook, general manager of the state-owned Jordan Uranium Mining Company.

The study will help identify all needs of the facility, which will be located in the central region, including logistics, he said in a recent interview with The Jordan Times.

The factory, Kahook said, will help ensure security of supply not only for Jordan but for countries in the region that are already planning and are in the process of building nuclear reactors.

“By 2020, when the facility is operational, Jordan will be one of the countries that produce yellowcake commercially.”

The mega-plant, which will be designed by Jordanian manpower, will produce about 300-400 metric tonnes of yellowcake annually in its initial phase and its capacity can be later expanded to 1,500 tonnes a year, said Kahook.

The central area of Jordan, about 80 kilometres south of Amman, is home to 36,389 metric tonnes of uranium oxide that is easily mined and can be extracted cost effectively. 

This volume, which is likely to be increased as exploration is ongoing, is enough to provide nuclear fuel for Jordan’s two planned reactors with a 1,000 megawatt capacity each for 130 years.

“Egypt is planning to build nuclear reactors. Many Gulf countries such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia also have plans in this regard. Turkey is also working on building nuclear reactors. This factory can ensure supply to these states,” Kahook said.

There currently are about 400 operational nuclear reactors across the world and by 2020, more than 70 additional nuclear reactors will start operations, which will boost demand for yellowcake.

The Kingdom, which imports 97 per cent of its annual energy needs, is planning to build a nuclear power plant with two reactors with a capacity of 1,000 megawatts each. The reactors are expected to be ready by 2022 and are expected to cost around $10 billion. 

Russia is a strategic partner and a preferred bidder in the nuclear reactor project.

AMMAN — Police on Monday announced the arrest of a man who allegedly struck and killed a policewoman in Irbid a day earlier, official sources said.

The officer was identified by officials as Corporal Sara Hussein, who was a resident of Amman.

Public Security Department Spokesperson Lt. Col. Amer Sartawi said the victim had finished her shift and “when she approached her house she was run over by a vehicle.”

“The driver fled the scene and we launched a thorough investigation to find the fleeing motorist,” Sartawi told The Jordan Times.

The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival, a second source told The Jordan Times.

Police issued an all-points bulletin and the driver was arrested on Monday, the official source said.

“He was referred to the prosecutor for further questioning and indictment,” the official source said.

Hussein was laid to rest in Amman on Monday, the source added.

AMMAN — Yarmouk satellite channel on Monday expressed its shock over the Jordan Media Commission’s (JMC) decision to close its live broadcast studios “without prior notice”.

In a statement sent to The Jordan Times, the channel said it started operations three years ago after meeting all legal requirements.

Wael Saqqa, the channel’s chairman, received the commission’s approval for broadcast, the statement said, adding that the closed studios are owned by a private company the channel has signed a contract with for technical services.

The station said closing the studios is an act that “limits media freedoms”.

Also on Monday, the Centre for Defending the Freedom of Journalists (CDFJ) expressed its concern over the closure.

CDFJ President Nidal Mansour voiced hope the channel would resume its broadcasts in the near future, according to a statement released by the centre.

The new licensed Muslim Brotherhood society recently filed a complaint with the JMC against the channel, which is run by the old unlicensed Brotherhood group, accusing it of “inciting sedition”.

Amjad Qadi, director of the commission, told The Jordan Times at the time that JMC had received the complaint and would study it in order to take the proper measures.

JMC officials on Monday were not available to comment on the the issue.