Day: October 20, 2021

The electricity tariff won’t affect about 93 percent of the population,” the prime minister stressed. At the same time, the new tariff won’t provide subsidy to the financially able groups, and revenues it generates will be redirected immediately to reducing the tariff on productive sectors, including industry, agriculture, hotels and hospitals, as well as the commercial sector to enhance their competitiveness indicators.

“This will enable more investment in these sectors and empower them to achieve healthy growth, create more jobs, and raise export capacities of goods and services. Of course, there are many details to deal with, and we are working to address them, and based on that, we said that they will be put into practice in the first quarter of next year.”

“As for oil, there have been a lot of previous explorations, and it is unreasonable to rely on the “we have undiscovered oil in Jordan” narrative, and companies that previously came and made explorations didn’t reach data confirming its existence in commercial quantities. Nevertheless, through our national capabilities, we have re-explored and rehabilitated the Hamza oil field’s wells and practically raised the production of this well from a zero state to nearly 2000 barrels per day at certain times, but this does not put us at all on any state close to self-sufficiency or becoming an oil country. The explorations will continue.”

JRTV: Mr. Prime Minister, what about administrative reform and upholding values of integrity and transparency?

PM: Certainly, our main lever is administrative reform, and the public sector, we are proud of and of those working in it, was the mainstay and pillar for achieving development in the Kingdom, but with different methods and times, there has become a required and necessary expansion of the private sector role, as the public sector cannot continue to expand beyond its capabilities, and therefore it is necessary to move to another work mentality among many workers in the public sector, to believe that the private sector and its workers are key partners in development and in adopting prudent approaches that address our basic issues and central challenges, mainly poverty and unemployment.

Today, about 130,000 people enter the labor market annually, and the public sector, with the best assumptions, cannot absorb more than 6-7 thousand jobs, most of which are in the health and education sectors, while the private sector, in its current state, cannot absorb more than 25-30 thousand jobs.

We have 65 percent of current expenditures directed to salaries and pensions, and the government is thinking of enabling the private sector to work in a healthy environment and atmosphere, and to establish in the mindset of those who work in the public sector that the private sector is a key partner in the development process.

JRTV: Mr. Prime Ministe, how do you currently assess the relationship with the US administration?

PM: I can say with utmost confidence that the relationship with the US administration is excellent, and His Majesty was the first leader from this region to pay an official visit to the United States of America, and His Majesty’s visit was exceptional by all standards.

The US administration fully appreciates the central role of His Majesty the King and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. It also highly appreciates His Majesty’s views and strategic visions related to challenges facing the region and leverage them. The relationship with the United States is distinguished on the bilateral level, as well as on economic aid, as well as the level of open and frank talk regarding various regional issues that interest us both.

The relationship with the current US administration is very excellent and comes as an extension of an exceptional, strategic and historical relationship that brings us together with the United States. This relationship has always helped us achieve strategic goals that serve various regional and national issues, foremost among which is the Palestinian issue and reaching the two-state solution, which achieves the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people, and the establishment of an independent and fully sovereign Palestinian state on the pre-June 4, 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and also within the framework of the Hashemite custodianship, which His Majesty ably and distinguishably exercises, in order to always work to ensure that the historical situation in the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Al-Quds Al-Sharif is not to be compromised in any way and under any circumstances.

JRTV: What about the new Israeli government?

PM: We have a peace treaty with Israel, and our relationship with the new Israeli government is, of course, governed by the framework of this treaty, and it will be governed by the methodology and approaches that the Israeli government chooses to adopt in dealing with many issues that affect the Kingdom, whether in a bilateral or regional context. We are open as long as the goal remains in front of our eyes in terms of achieving a just, lasting and comprehensive peace, achieving the two-state solution I’d mentioned, preserving Islamic and Christian holy sites, the Hashemite custodianship, and supporting the legitimate Palestinian right within the framework of the two-state solution.

JRTV: We have recently witnessed several Jordanian moves towards Iraq, Egypt, Syria and Lebanon, and many Arab integration projects, whether in electricity or gas. Let us talk about this role.

PM: Certainly, we now have institutionalized the trilateral mechanism launched by His Majesty more than two years ago, which included Egypt and Iraq, and His Majesty the King took the initiative to launch this mechanism to achieve common economic interests and benefits of the three countries.

This mechanism began as non-institutional, then gradually it was institutionalized, and several summits were held for the leaders of the three countries in Cairo, Amman, New York and Baghdad. In Amman, it was agreed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the host country would undertake the secretarial work of this very promising trilateral mechanism, and today, there is talk of an oil pipeline extending from Basra through Jordanian territories to Aqaba and then to Egyptian territories.

The Iraqi government is in the process of launching bids to ensure the completion of this line, which provides many promising opportunities including petrochemical industries that benefit us in Jordan, Egypt and Iraq.

For its part, Jordan has accomplished everything necessary to establish the industrial zone on the border with Iraq, which has recently completed most of the procedural aspects related to it to establish this industrial zone extending on the borders of the two countries, to serve as an industrial and logistical zone for the three countries.

The prospects for this relationship with regard to issues such as electricity interconnection and energy export are very large and can be built upon, and this trilateral mechanism, by the way, is an open mechanism for those who are interested in entering and participating in it according to the comparative advantages base available at each party.

In fact, the pioneer of the idea and the owner of this issue is His Majesty the King in all honesty and fairness, and this relationship can be integrated with the trilateral relationship between Jordan, Cyprus and Greece, as well as Egypt and its trilateral relationship with Cyprus and Greece, and behind that our relationship with Europe and the European Union is a unique and distinguished relationship based on respect and credibility that His Majesty the King established through his wise and prudent policies and his high credibility with the whole world.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh on Wednesday said his government has no plans to reintroduce Covid-19 lockdowns and stressed that vaccination is the real guarantee to ward off any pandemic-related challenges or economic relapse.

“Neither the current epidemiological situation nor what we have achieved in terms of the turnout for vaccination and vaccine availability dictate today that we must return to any form of partial or blanket lockdowns,” the prime minister said in a wide-ranging interview with the Jordan Television.

Khasawneh said the Kingdom’s southern “Golden Triangle” region has been recording high arrivals of vaccinated tourists, noting that festivals help in revitalizing the economy provided that adherence to health safety protocols is ensured.

Speaking on other national affairs, Khasawneh said that the government will forward the recommendations of a royal committee tasked with modernizing political life to the parliament before the start of its next ordinary session.

He revealed that the government will propose partial and limited amendments to the constitution and other laws to ensure full consistency with the committee’s suggestions.

Khasawneh said that the government is fully convinced that these outcomes reflect the vision of the majority of Jordanian society, and that they will bring a qualitative leap towards the better for the Kingdom, by expanding the participation of the grassroots and deepening true citizenship.

In addition to the royal committee’s recommendations, the premier indicated that his government will put His Majesty the King’s Discussion papers into action to bring about comprehensive development, propel economic growth and press ahead with administrative reform.

Speaking on political life, the prime minister said: “Today, people often wonder about the mechanism for ministers’ selection and cabinet reshuffles. If there were party frameworks and blocs, it would have been possible to choose talents and people who can carry out these tasks.”

He pointed: “Today, Jordan’s partisan landscape does not give you many options and selection mechanisms, and therefore the choice is subject to a great deal of personal judgment. The choice may be right or otherwise, because it is not based on frameworks that can regulate the selection process.”

With regard to Jordan’s foreign relations, with the US in particular, the premier emphasized that the two countries maintain strategic ties that also serve pan-Arab issues, foremost of which is the Palestinian issue.

Khasawneh said that the Kingdom’s relationship with Israel is dependent on the latter’s commitment to the two-state solution, and its adherence not to undermine the status quo in Jerusalem’s Muslim and Christian holy shrines that are under the Hashemite Custodianship.

Source: Jordan News Agency

The question now Mr Prime Minister is whether the parties will be removed from under the government’s umbrella to be under the Independent Elections Commission’s?

Prime Minister: It is necessary, because when we reach the stage where the objective conditions have ripened for the formation of governments with a partisan majority; then objectively, and out of impartiality, you cannot leave the issue of supervising the establishment of parties and their registration to a ministry that may be composed on a partisan basis.

I might be the leader of a party, and the majority party that is mine has won the elections, so how can I supervise the rest of the parties that may be competing against me. We will, at a certain stage, reach the goal of party and programme-based governments so that those governments are not suspected of dominating the rest of the parties that do not have a majority, and this is why an independent body is overseeing this.

JRTV: Let us move on to the coronavirus issue and the question of the Jordanians; when will the defence law stop being implemented?

Prime Minister: When the coronavirus crisis and its challenges become a new normal, or become completely behind us.

The Defense Law and its orders protect 100,000 jobs for Jordanians working in different and multiple sectors. There is an objective necessity for this protection to continue until objective conditions are created that would allow, if in the future this workforce is laid off in some sectors, for workers to find an alternative that would provide a decent living…

This is a basic objective requirement, we are for real partnership with and the empowerment of the private sector, but we have a duty to provide protection, which necessarily parts away from considerations of raising profit margins, which is the philosophy of the private sector that is based on legitimate profit,

And the government’s duty is to take this element of legitimate profit for the private sector into consideration; however, it also has to protect, in exceptional circumstances, existing job opportunities in a way that does not harm the private sector, and at the same time, protect those who work in these jobs.

JRTV: The government’s goal in the defense law, and its continuation, is to protect workers?

Prime Minister: This is a split. We have multiple aspects. One of the central aspects in the continuation of the defense law is that it gives us the legislative means to encourage the largest possible segment of people to take the vaccine; to resume their normal lives as they were before the coronavirus pandemic, and we are patr of them.

JRTV: We understand from your state’s speech that there is no return to closures?

Prime Minister: It is not taken into consideration now, and not the data of the epidemiological situation, nor the achievement we have achieved in terms of the demand for and provision of vaccination put us today in front of a reality with which we return to any form of partial or comprehensive closures.

Today we need this regulatory framework. We have a green area that has begun to recover in the Golden Triangle, Aqaba, Petra and Wadi Rum, and it is an important tourist destination. Every Jordanian or foreign visitor can enter this green area if they are immunised; an immunised person is someone who has received the two jabs of the vaccine or to have had a “PCR” test that within 72 hours before entering the golden zone, as is the case in many institutions.

The main objective of these measures is to expand the area and base of the vaccinated, because it is the means and the way for a normal life process. Today, we hear a lot in the media about the need to hold festivals.

JRTV: There is talk that amounts to accusing the government of being strict in certain locations and relaxing in others, including festivals and celebrations, and closures and fines for people on the other hand.

Prime Minister: Let me say the following; unfortunately, a lot of this talk is not based, in my humble opinion, on a scientific, realistic and fair analysis of the government’s measures. There are healthy protocols for the festivals that are held, which contribute to the revitalization of the economic movement, significantly.

The health protocol is clear, you cannot go to these festivals, or set foot in these festivals and occasion unless you are immunised; meaning, unless you have received vaccination or a negative PCR test result 72 hours before the event.

It is It is established in a safe atmosphere, especially in open spaced. As for other facilities, what is overlooked, for example, in the context of mitigating measures, even before the issuance of the Defense Order 46 were restaurants and many of the facilities that we stipulated that a person should have a “green Sanad” meaning a person should be immunisd to enter restaurants, where the requirement was that there should be 6 people at the table, while today it has increased to 10 people. This is part of the process of safe and gradual opening.

JTTV: Do you listen to the demands of the private sector in this regard?

Prime Minister: Certainly, but the challenge today, and for society to rise again completely from the painful and harmful psychological, economic and moral effects of the coronavirus pandemic, there is a reciprocal and shared responsibility on everyone; for the benefit not only of the private sector but also of the revenues of the public treasury, as well as improving the public opinion.

Festivals and celebrations spurred the economy, a real movement that was necessary and required, and it will continue according to health protocols and requirements based on the idea of ??immunization…

Today, we are talking about the presence of about 10.5 million people in Jordan, including a very large number of refugees. The Jordanian state and Jordanian society offer them services in the same way does for Jordanians.

Since the first day of the government, I said in the House of Representatives that the government will not make many promises and will not intentionally, in any way, mislead citizens, and certainly we will be true to our leadership and our constitutional oath. Accordingly, we presented an indicative economic programme, because it was the safest methodology in light of the data of the coronavirus crisis…

We went for the government’s economic work priorities programme, which was linked to timeframes and aims to deliver achievements within 24 months, in a process extended on three main axes and includes 53 priorities, aimed primarily at improving the work and investment environment…

These priorities also aimed at developing our export capabilities in terms of services and goods, by supporting industries; today we have a fund to support the industrial sector, and allocate JOD20 million to support tourism, and we have allocated for the next public budget about JOD80 million for operating programmes.

We have a unit for follow-up and performance measurement In the Prime Ministry, it is responsible for submitting monthly reports on the achievements.

Source: Jordan News Agency

The UK’s health department Wednesday reported 179 COVID-19 deaths, taking the toll to 139,031.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said 49,140 people tested positive for the highly contagious lung disease, as the caseload hovers around 8,5 million.

Source: Jordan News Agency

COVID-19 killed eight in Jordan in the last 24 hours, as the death toll stands at 10,903 and a total of 1,232 cases were recorded, pushing the caseload to some 846,030, according to the Ministry of Health (MoH).

The MoH said in a press statement Wednesday that 5.06 percent of the 24,350 tests conducted today came back positive.

It said 47 people had recovered and were discharged from hospitals while 89 others were admitted, as the total number of COVID-19 patients receiving medical treatment in hospitals hit 552.

The number of active COVID-19 cases in the Kingdom hovers around 161,145, it added.

Some 818,980 COVID-19 patients, including patients who had been self-isolating, have fully recovered so far.

Source: Jordan News Agency