Day: August 1, 2021

Minister of Education, Mohammad Abu Qadis, announced results of the Tawjihi (the General Secondary Certificate Examination) will be announced mid-August.

 

Abu Qadis, in press remarks on Sunday, said the ministry is about to finish correcting Tawjihi examination papers, which will then be verified.

 

The Education Council decided to form an expert committee to develop Tawjihi examination in a way that “relieves pressure on parents and students, and helps students to focus on their future specialization,” the minister told the press.

 

Preparations for 2021/2022 school year are “underway,” he said, adding that education will in-person at schools countrywide within a health protocol designed in cooperation with the Ministry of Health.

 

The minister also praised the health measures that have been carried out, especially the national anti-COVID-19 vaccination drive, which included a “large” percentage of teachers, and a number of university students, and lowering of inoculation age to 12 years old, which would contribute to giving immunity to a “wide” percentage of pupils.

 

Highlighting the importance of integrating school e-learning to develop students’ education methods, the minister said this plan will not replace in-person learning, which will be the basis of the educational process during the coming period.

 

As part of the Ministry’s preparations for the new academic year, he said 32 new schools will be opened next semester to receive students, comprising 507 classrooms, in addition to building 288 new classrooms in a number of existing schools with a capacity of approximately 27 thousand students.

 

Regarding the introduction of media education in schools, Abu Qadis said it will not be a “separate” textbook, and will consist of lessons distributed over a number of subjects and courses, whether at the university or school level.

 

Source: Jordan News Agency

The Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation (MOPIC) Sunday said it had secured US$301 million in foreign financial assistance for Jordan during the January-June 2021 period.

 

The Ministry told “Petra” that the amount includes US$265 million in the form of grants and US$36 million in the form of concessional grants, highlighting the bulk of the money would be allocated to developing the water sector and boosting the Kingdom’s economic growth.

 

It would also support the public budget and cushion the blow of the COVID-19 pandemic’s fallout, especially in terms of enhancing the health and social protection sector and breathe life into the labour market by supporting small- and medium-sized enterprises.

 

It also focused on supporting the justice and governance sector. It provides additional funds to support a response plan to the Syrian crisis.

 

Some 70 percent of the international aid is funneled through the public budget, which bears witness to the fact the donor community trusts the prudence of Jordan’s public institutions and believes in their transparency.

 

The ministry said it expects foreign aid this year would maintain its level of last year at $4 billion, including: $2 billion in regular and additional grants to support the water, health, and social protection sectors and to enhance economic growth.

 

The expected aid for the current year also includes US$2 billion as concessional grants to support the public budget and the health sector. It would also be used to allow the government to purchase more COVID-19 vaccines and medical equipment.

 

It would also fund social protection programmes and implement “top priority” water projects, as well as small- and medium-sized projects.

 

The yet to be signed loans are characterised by being highly concessional and aimed to support the public budget and fund “prioritised” development projects.

 

MOPIC would coordinate with the Ministry of Finance and competent ministries to secure all approvals.

 

The interest rate on the aforementioned concessional grants range between .5-4 percent, with a repayment period that could run through 35 years with a grace period of at least 3-10 years.

 

MOPIC said it is working with Jordan’s donor partners and other funding international agencies to sustain support for the Kingdom.

 

The Ministry is negotiating additional support in the upcoming period to enable Jordan cope with the many challenges it faces, especially in areas of economic growth.

 

The continued support for Jordan shows the level of the international community’s respect for the Kingdom and its regional and international role.

 

It proves the international community’s recognition of the reforms taking place in the Kingdom and its trust in Jordan’s ability to manage the international funds.

 

Source: Jordan News Agency

The Senate’s Legal Committee, headed by Ahmed Tbeishat, approved a draft Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Law (AML/CTF), with some amendments.

 

Endorsement of AML/CTF, which came in the presence of Minister of State for Legal Affairs, Mahmoud Kharabsheh, Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ), Maher Sheikh, and Director of Anti Money Laundering and Counter Terrorist Financing Unit (AMLU Jordan), Samia Abu Sharif, seeks to stiffen penalties on related crimes.

 

The bill, according to its mandating reasons, aims to meet the requirements of technical compliance with related international standards, in addition to expanding the powers of the National Committee for Combating Money Laundering and Financing Terrorism.

 

Source: Jordan News Agency

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Major Gen. Yousef Hneiti, on Sunday, kicked off a new course of the Royal Jordanian Command and Staff College (RJCSC).

 

Speaking at the ceremony attended by a number of senior officers from Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF) and military attachés of brotherly and friendly countries, Hneiti conveyed the King’s greeting to the new officers for joining the RJCSC’s course, adding that the College has graduated “qualified” leaders and officers from the JAF, security agencies, in addition to brotherly and friendly countries’ armies.

 

The officers’ enrollment in this military course will be of added value, which would reflect “positively” on their “practical and scientific” lives, Huneiti spoke to the audience.

 

Despite the challenges that faced Jordan over the past decades, he said the Kingdom proved to have a “key” role in the regional security and stability, which was clear at the King’s recent visit to the United States that reflected “deep” vision to raising the region’s issues and ensuring its security, stability and the future of its peoples.

 

Huneiti noted the JAF’s strategic vision came in line with the King’s directives aimed to develop and modernize the army in view of the multiple global developments now to integrate modern military capabilities and address ” huge” challenges.

 

Source: Jordan News Agency

The Marina Village in the Ayla Oasis in Aqaba, one of the largest mixed-use urban development projects in Jordan, has achieved “phenomenal” successes in the areas of marketing, entertainment, support services and promotion of comprehensive economic development in the Kingdom.

 

In his interview with “Petra” on Sunday, Sahel Dudin, Ayla Oasis Development Company (AODC)’s Managing Director, said Ayla Oasis has attracted “leading” Jordanian brands, which have leased so far leased more than 50% of its trade squares, adding the remaining spaces will be occupied by the end of 2021.

 

On the tourist retreat’s role at local level, Dudin said Ayla Oasis has provided job opportunities to Jordanian youth, as the rate of Jordanian labor tops 90% in sectors of high added value to the national economy.

 

Pledging continued effort to move forward with AODC’s comprehensive plan, he said the company turned COVID-19 pandemic-imposed challenges into “promising” opportunities, by opening Marina Village and the Cloud 7 Residence Ayla Aqaba Hotel during peak period of the crisis last summer.

 

Source: Jordan News Agency