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AMMAN — Chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff Gen. Mashal Al Zaben on Wednesday received several delegations who are attending the 10th Special Operations Forces Exhibition (SOFEX).

Zaben met with delegates from Pakistan, China, Mexico, Poland, Brunei, Georgia, Kuwait and France.

Discussions covered military and defence concerns.

Also on the sidelines of SOFEX, Gendarmerie Department Director Maj. Gen. Ahmad Sweilmin discussed ways to boost cooperation with gendarmerie departments in China, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Lebanon, Argentine, Italy and Turkey.

AMMAN — The Cabinet on Wednesday approved draft amendments to the Iftaa Law and submitted it to the Legislation and Opinion Bureau.

The bill seeks to regulate the process of issuing Islamic edicts or fatwas in the Kingdom.

The Council of Ministers also approved amendments to the law on land appropriation, which seeks to ease the financial burden on the government and public institutions.

AMMAN — Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour has directed the concerned ministries to take necessary measures with regard to the recommendations of the Jordan Press Association (JPA) on the status of press freedom in Jordan.

In a circular sent to several ministries, the premier urged officials to study the JPA’s 2013 report.

 JPA President Tareq Momani commended the government’s reaction.

AMMAN – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Wednesday said that its executive board has completed the third and fourth reviews of Jordan’s performance under a three-year programme supported by a Stand-By Arrangement (SBA). 

In a statement e-mailed to The Jordan Times, the IMF said the board has also concluded the Article IV consultation with Jordan. 

The 36-month SBA in the amount of about $2 billion, or 800 per cent of Jordan’s quota at the IMF, was approved by the executive board on August 3, 2012.  

The completion of the third and fourth reviews enables the immediate release of $264.7 million, bringing total disbursements under the programme to around $1.3 billion.

Following the executive board’s discussion on Jordan, Naoyuki Shinohara, deputy managing director and acting chair, said that Jordanian authorities remain committed to reforms and prudent policies despite a difficult environment. The fund-supported economic programme, focused on reducing external and fiscal vulnerabilities, remains broadly on track.

“The 2014 budget appropriately targets further fiscal consolidation while protecting the most vulnerable. Measures to increase central government revenue are welcome and should be implemented without delay,” Shinohara said. 

He added that contingency measures should be prepared and implemented if expected revenue gains turn out to be lower than expected and fiscal targets appear at risk.

“Looking further ahead, the medium-term consolidation strategy hinges on further tax reforms to rein in rising public indebtedness. The new income tax law should aim at bringing the tax burden in line with that of regional peers,” he said, urging the government to reduce tax incentives. 

Continued implementation of reforms in the energy and water sectors is necessary to return the utilities to cost recovery, the IMF official was quoted as saying in the statement.

“Monetary policy should continue to focus on preserving comfortable reserve buffers. While headline inflation has declined in recent months, a rising trend in core inflation calls for a continued cautious approach,” Shinohara said. 

He said that faster and more job-rich growth requires regulatory and legislative action to improve the business climate, adding that there is also a need to step up labour market and educational reforms, strengthen public institutions and better prioritise public investment.

AMMAN — The Jordan Armed Forces (JAF) on Wednesday signed a deal with a South African defence manufacturer to buy 50 customised Mbombe combat vehicles.

JAF signed the agreement with Paramount Group on the sidelines of the Special Operations Forces Exhibition (SOFEX) 2014 being held in Amman, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The vehicle will be one of the products of a joint venture between King Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau and Paramount, Africa’s largest defence and aerospace business which have partnered to produce an array of defence products and solutions in Jordan. 

The two sides announced they agreed to set up facilities related to the project “soon”.

A top executive from Paramount has said the venture would put Jordan on track to become a key defence exporter. 

AMMAN — A Royal Decree was issued on Wednesday summoning Parliament to convene for an extraordinary session, to commence as of June 1 in order to endorse a list of 13 draft laws, along with the Lower House’s code of conduct. 

According to the Constitution, lawmakers can only debate bills that are listed in the Royal Decree during extraordinary sessions. 

The bills include draft laws on administrative justice, judiciary independence, the councils of non-Muslim religious sects, political parties and partnership between the public and the private sectors. 

They also include the income tax, investment, juveniles, and civil service pension bill, in addition to amended laws governing renewable energy and rationalising energy consumption, the Bar Association and the work of Al Amal Cancer Foundation. 

At a press conference that was held on Tuesday, Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh highlighted House achievements during its last ordinary session, which was prorogued by His Majesty King Abdullah as of May 3. 

He said that the House endorsed 34 laws in 56 meetings. The endorsed pieces of legislation included important bills such as the State Security Court, anti-terrorism, Anti-Corruption Commission and illicit fortune laws, in addition to the state budget.

The Lower House convened for its six-month ordinary session on November 3, 2013.

AMMAN — The Independent Elections Commission (IEC) should continue to build on its previous accomplishments in preparing for and supervising parliamentary elections, Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour said on Wednesday. 

During a visit to IEC headquarters, Ensour congratulated the newly appointed board of commissioners on the Royal confidence, reiterating the need for the commission to maintain integrity, credibility and transparency throughout its various tasks, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

He said Jordan has succeeded in conducting the 2013 parliamentary elections, which were characterised by integrity, stressing the importance of benefiting from previous experience and the need to deal with small administrative loopholes to ensure positive results.

The IEC has built a regional reputation for itself, with its successful organisation of last year’s elections, the premier said. 

Underscoring the importance of ensuring free and fair elections, he asserted the IEC’s independence, as well as the importance of developing its performance through coordination and cooperation with all concerned.

Ensour also expressed hope that the IEC would undertake the responsibility of supervising and running any other elections that the Council of Ministers decides, especially municipal elections.   

IEC Chief Commissioner Riyadh Shakaa expressed his pride in the Royal confidence, noting that the commission will work in all faith and integrity to serve the country and its people, Petra reported.

He pointed out that the IEC values cooperation with the three authorities, civil society institutions and political parties in order to bolster the country’s drive towards comprehensive reform.

Shakaa commended the previous board and its efforts that led to free and fair elections, highlighting the government’s support for the commission. 

Other IEC commissioners stressed their readiness to shoulder their national responsibility and work as a team to build on and maximise the IEC’s accomplishments. 

Ensour was accompanied by Minister of State for Prime Ministry Affairs Ahmad Ziadat, Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications Mohammad Momani and Minister of Social Development and acting Minister of Justice Reem Abu Hassan during the visit.

Paragraph 2 of Article 67 of the Constitution stipulates the establishment of an independent commission to oversee and manage parliamentary polls and any other elections called for by the government in all of their stages.

The 2012 IEC Law stipulates that the commission consist of six members appointed by Royal Decree for a non-renewable six-year term.

The 28-article law stipulates that the financially and administratively independent Amman-based commission will oversee and manage parliamentary elections and any polls requested by the Cabinet.

The main duties of the IEC are setting election dates; drawing up schedules, plans and programmes necessary for the implementation of elections with integrity, transparency and impartiality; and taking the necessary measures to mange candidate and voter registration in line with the provisions of the Elections Law, including verifying and updating voter lists and handling the process of contesting these lists by individuals or parties.

AMMAN — The military clashed with jihadists along the Syria border on Wednesday, security and Islamist sources say, marking the second high-profile incident in the border region in less than a month.

According to a statement by the Jordan Armed Forces, the Jordanian border guard traded fire with an unidentified group of individuals early Wednesday after they attempted to illegally cross into Jordan from Syria.

The border guard injured two of the gunmen in the clashes, according to the statement, carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, which did not disclose the number or nationality of the individuals. 

Islamist sources claimed the gunmen were part of a group of Jordanian citizens returning to the country after fighting alongside Islamist militants in southern Syria.

The reported gunmen were a group of 10 Jordanians attempting to cross into the country in order to receive medical treatment for wounds sustained while fighting alongside Al Qaeda-linked Jabhat Al Nusra coalition, the sources said.

“The group were attempting to return to their homeland after months of fighting alongside Syrian rebels when the clashes broke out, said a Jordanian jihadist activist, who refrained from being named due to security concerns.

Wednesday’s clashes marked the second Jordanian use of military force along the country’s border with Syria in less than two weeks.

Late last month, the air force targeted a convoy of unidentified armoured vehicles attempting to cross into Jordan after they failed to heed a series of warning shots. 

Both the Syrian regime and rebel forces denied responsibility for the incident.

The clashes come as Jordan continues to impose a security crackdown on the countries’ 370-kilometre shared border, with security forces having arrested over 50 Jordanian and alleged foreign jihadists over the past two weeks.

Over 2,200 Jordanians are currently fighting alongside Islamist militias in Syria, according to Islamist sources, with the vast majority serving under the umbrellas of Al Nusra and its rival, former Al Qaeda affiliate the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

AMMAN — Orange Jordan on Tuesday said it started talks with the government to renew its second generation (2G) licence for five years instead of 15 years.

“The price the government set for renewing the 2G licence for 15 years was very high and illogical… now we are looking into alternatives and are in talks with the government,” Orange Jordan CEO Jean-François Thomas told The Jordan Times.

The two sides are expected to agree on a price for renewing the 2G licence for five years in the next few days, he said.

Last month, the government set JD156.4 million as the fee for renewing Orange Mobile’s 2G licence for 15 years, but the company protested and said it was “too high”.

The company claimed that the amount was set without thorough studies, but the government said at the time that the amount was set based on objective studies.

Orange Mobile’s licence expires May 8.

“We do not think we will need 2G for a very long time; five years time is reasonable as in some other countries the usage of 2G stopped already,” Thomas said.

He added that the company will seriously consider applying for fourth generation (4G) licence by the end of this year.

Zain Jordan has already obtained a 4G licence and is expected to launch the service during the last quarter of this year.

AMMAN — Calm was restored in Ajloun on Wednesday following disturbances and arson attacks that the northern city witnessed a day earlier over the death of a man in Amman, official sources said.

Angry residents set some 30 dunums of forest on fire to protest against the death of a 29-year-old Ajloun resident following a police chase in the capital’s Tlaa Al Ali neighbourhood, a senior police official said.

“Some 32 individuals started fires in the forest and also blocked several roads, and Gendarmerie forces were dispatched to contain the situation,” the official told The Jordan Times, adding that tear gas was used to disperse the protesters, and no one was injured.

“No one was arrested because the incident occurred late at night and our priority was to extinguish the fires and save the forest,” the police official said.

A Civil Defence Department (CDD) official said dozens of firemen took part in extinguishing the blaze.

“Firefighters went on foot to extinguish the fire because it was close to our department in Ajloun,” the CDD official told The Jordan Times.

The police official said the Ajloun resident who died in Amman hid in a four-storey building when chased by police.

“The man saw a police patrol and started running so they chased him,” the official explained, adding that the suspect went to a building “and before we could reach him he jumped from the fourth floor and died”.

“We have no idea why he started running. He doesn’t have a criminal record and he was only required to appear in some court cases for minor offences,” the official said.