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AMMAN — The Social Security Corporation (SSC) on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Industry and Trade to exchange data electronically in order to eliminate tax evasion, simplify procedures and provide social protection to workers, according to a statement sent to The Jordan Times.

The SSC noted that the memo would contribute to expanding the number of labourers subscribed to the corporation and reducing the debts of individual institutions.

AMMAN — The Turkish embassy in Amman on Tuesday held a ceremony at the Turkish martyrs’ cemetery in Salt city commemorating Turkish soldiers who were killed during World War I.

Turkish Ambassador in Amman Sedat Onal attended the ceremony along with a number of diplomats who laid wreaths at the memorial, according to a statement.

MAFRAQ — A 10-year-old girl died of electrocution on Tuesday in her house in the Baij area in the Northeastern Badia.

Mafraq Public Hospital Director Samir Mashagbeh said the body was sent for forensic examination to determine the cause of death.

AMMAN — HRH Prince Raad, president of the Higher Council for the Affairs of Persons with Disabilities, on Tuesday called on officials and public and private institutions to cooperate in finding solutions to the challenges facing people with disabilities.

The prince made the remarks at a brainstorming session organised by the Our Lady of Peace Centre in cooperation with the LDS Association.

He commended the initiative launched by the centre to discuss issues related to people with disabilities with official and media entities.

AMMAN — Jordan exported agricultural produce worth JD950 million last year, Agriculture Minister Akef Zu’bi said on Tuesday.

During a meeting with reporters at the Agricultural Credit Corporation (ACC), the minister commended the role of the media in serving the agricultural sector, noting that there are many success stories in the Jordan Valley despite the shortage of resources.

Zu’bi also praised the role of the ACC, which finances pioneering projects throughout the Kingdom, enabling Jordanian farmers to export their products to several Arab countries.

AMMAN — Jordan is committed to supporting UNESCO’s efforts in safeguarding Jerusalem’s Old City and its cultural heritage, Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh said on Tuesday at a meeting with the UN agency’s director general, Irina Bokova.

Judeh highlighted Jordan’s role as the custodian of Jerusalem’s Muslim and Christian sites.

Also on Tuesday, Planning Minister Ibrahim Saif met with Bokova and briefed her on the effects of hosting large numbers of Syrian refugees, which adds an extra burden on the Kingdom’s budget.

At a meeting with Education Minister Mohammad Thneibat, Bokova commended Jordan’s effective role in hosting Syrian refugees, expressing her understanding of the challenges the Kingdom faces and the burdens resulting from the crisis.

AMMAN — Jordan’s Ambassador to Switzerland Amjad Qheiwi on Tuesday presented his credentials to President of the Swiss Confederation Didier Burkhalter as the Kingdom’s ambassador to Switzerland.

The ceremony was held at the federal palace in Bern.

AMMAN — Relations between Spain and this part of the region are distinguished, but ties with Jordan are "extraordinary" on all levels with room for further development, Spanish Ambassador to Jordan Santiago Cabanas Ansorena said.

“On the political side the relations are very extraordinary; our positions on world issues are very similar, whether it is on Syria, the peace process or the Mediterranean or the stability issue,” Cabanas Ansorena said at a round-table discussion hosted by Al Rai Centre for Studies on Monday.

The ambassador noted that Spain has been at the forefront of supporting Jordan in its relations with the EU and with NATO.

Speaking at the discussion, titled “Jordanian-Spanish ties: new horizons of cooperation”, he added that Jordan and Spain have been working together at the Union for the Mediterranean.

“I have to say that we thank Jordan, now [that] it has the presidency of Union for the Mediterranean, for understanding our positions on specific issues, and some of them are delicate, like the energy issue.”

The envoy also noted that his country supported Jordan in its bid for a seat at the UN Security Council and would like to have the Kingdom’s support in an upcoming vote slated for October this year.

“We are trying to get into the Security Council… Our vote will be more contested; we are fighting for the only two positions in our group and three countries are trying to get in there, so it will be a difficult vote and we hope to count on the support of Jordan for that position against New Zealand and Turkey,” the envoy said.  

“We hope, at least for one year — 2015-2016 — we will coincide with Jordan in the Security Council, and we think this will be so good because we will have similar positions on very common issues.”

Being balanced regarding Middle East issues is another reason that makes Spain “liked” in Jordan according to the ambassador. 

"We’ve been always supportive, and I think this is something acknowledged in the Arab world, specifically in Jordan.”

Last year, Spain allocated 6 million euros for humanitarian assistance related to the Syrian crisis, of which 2 million euros were directed through international organisations to Jordan. In addition, Spain supports host communities through NGOs with 1 million euros a year.

“I am very confident that we are going to be able to strengthen our relations in the years to come” the envoy added, noting that despite the financial difficulties, Madrid is building a new embassy in Amman that is “going to be our largest embassy in the Middle East. It will be opened hopefully in summer.”

Economic crisis 

During the 90-minute discussion, Cabanas Ansorena also briefed participating economists and representatives of the tourism and investment sectors on the economic crisis in his country and the plans implemented to get its economy back on track.

“The crisis from 2008 onwards hit us hard in Spain,” he said.

“But we are on the right track.”

In addition to popular support, the plans implemented by the government and the help of the EU, Spain also managed to recover because of its “very solid social industrial economic base”.

“We are still the fourth economy in the eurozone, the fifth economy in the European Union, the 13th largest economy by GDP [gross domestic product] in the world, the 11th largest investor in the world, [and] the first or second largest investor in Latin America together with the United States,” Cabanas Ansorena explained.

“We have reduced our deficit, our debt and… gained [the] confidence of markets in Spain.” 

In addition to economic reform, the European country has achieved other reforms, including in the education, technology and transport sectors.

AMMAN — Three people were killed on Tuesday in a head-on collision between a trailer truck and a natural gas tanker on the Amman-Aqaba highway, official sources said.

The accident, which occurred at around 2pm near the Naqab area, involved a trailer truck that was heading to Amman and a gas tanker bound for Aqaba, a senior official source said.

“The gas tanker was coming down the hill and the driver lost control of the vehicle that swerved into the other lane, slamming head on into a truck coming from the opposite direction,” the source added.

The strong impact caused the immediate death of the two drivers and a Civil Defence Department (CDD) officer who was on the truck, he noted.

The victims, aged 34, 35 and 58, were taken to the Maan and Aqaba public hospitals, a CDD official said.

Traffic officials said they were investigating the accident.

Around 11,004 accidents associated with human injury were registered in 2012, according to official figures.

The number of road-related deaths in Jordan stood at 816 in the same year. Overall, there were 17,143 injuries related to traffic accidents in the country.

Road accidents over the past decade have killed 7,869 people and injured 171,143 in the Kingdom, according to Public Security Department estimates.

In 2011, more than 142,000 accidents took place in Jordan, resulting in 694 fatalities and 18,122 injuries, while financial losses amounted to about $440 million (around JD311 million).

AMMAN –– More Cabinet ministers are expected to switch to hybrid cars in a bid to reduce the state's fuel bill, according to a government source. 

Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour started to use a Toyota Prius hybrid around two weeks ago, and Planning Minister Ibrahim Saif has replaced a traditional Mercedes with a fuel-efficient Prius. 

Earlier this year, Japan provided the government with 110 hybrid cars under a 300,000,000 yen grant (around $2,940,000).

The Japanese assistance was aimed at helping Jordan fight pollution and protect the environment, the Japanese embassy said at the time.

Saif said the new eco-friendly vehicles would be distributed to 16 ministries and government agencies, replacing public vehicles with large engines to reduce fuel expenses.

The move to adopt hybrid cars in the ministerial fleet was welcomed by an environmentalist, who said that officials should lead by example by using environment-friendly cars to curb pollution, cut fuel bills and boost market confidence in such vehicles.   

“It is good to hear such news,” Ayoub Abu Deyyeh, president of the Energy Conservation and Environment Sustainability Society, told The Jordan Times. 

However, distributing around 100 cars to government officials is not enough to reduce the country's energy bill, Aby Deyyeh noted, calling on decision makers to remove the special tax imposed on hybrids, which is 25 per cent of the value of the car, so that green vehicles can become affordable for the majority of Jordanians. 

According to the environmentalist, the transport sector accounted for around 49 per cent of Jordan’s oil mix consumed in 2013. 

In 2013, the Kingdom imported oil worth JD3.9 billion, according to official data. 

“Hybrid cars should be tax free,” Abu Deyyeh said, adding that if authorities encourage people to switch to such technology, prices would go down as well as the cost of spare parts and maintenance. 

Official figures indicate that imports of hybrids grew by nearly six-fold last year compared with 2012. 

A total of 14,565 electric battery-powered cars were imported in 2013, compared to 2,598 in 2012, according to Jordan Customs Department figures.

Exempting hybrids from taxes would encourage motorists to swap their old cars with new fuel-efficient vehicles, Abu Deyyeh said, noting that nearly half the road accidents in Jordan are due to a lack of mechanical maintenance on old cars. 

Pollution is another important issue the authorities should address, he said, citing official reports showing that pollution-related diseases cost the Kingdom around JD100 million a year.