Day: April 3, 2022

Categories
Affairs

GDP grows 2.2pct in 2021

Jordan’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at constant market prices grew by 2.2 percent in 2021, compared to the figure reported in 2020.

In a quarterly statistical report released Sunday, the Department of Statistics (DoS) said that the GDP inched up by 2.6 percent in the fourth quarter of last year compared to the same period of 2020.

It indicated that the construction sector expanded by 6.1 percent in the reporting period, followed by the extractive industries 5.6 percent, the transportation, storage and communications sector 3.9 percent, and the wholesale and retail trade and the hospitality sector 3.5 percent.

SOURCE: JORDAN NEWS AGENCY

Categories
Affairs

Irbid exports stand at $115m last March up by 26.5%-ICI

Irbid, April 3 (Petra)- The total value of certificates of origin issued by the Irbid Chamber of Industry (ICI) during last March reached $115 million, compared to $91 million for the same month last year, registering an increase of 26.5%.

Al Hassan Industrial Estate’s exports hit a value of $106 million, followed by Cyber City’s exported products by $7.3 million, while the $1.5 remaining exports came from other industrial zones in the northern governorate, according to an ICI statement released Sunday.

The textile and leather sector maintained a leading position in the sector-based exports, with a value of $104 million, followed by the foodstuffs products by $3.6 million, the medical industries sector by $3.1 million, the statement said.

Meanwhile, the remaining exports included plastic, rubber and chemical industries, cosmetics, mining and construction products and packaging, the chamber noted.

In press remarks, ICI Chairman, Hani Abu Hassan, said the US market was the biggest importer, nearly at a value standing at $83, 45, followed by the Arab countries, with exports worth $7.49 million, of which $6.5 million were delivered under pan-Arab agreements, while the remaining shipments went to the Canadian and Southeast Asian countries’ markets, among others.

SOURCE: JORDAN NEWS AGENCY

Categories
Health

China reports over 13,000 new Covid cases as outbreak spreads.

China on Sunday reported 13,146 Covid cases, the highest since the peak of the first wave more than two years ago, as the highly transmissible Omicron variant spread to more than a dozen provinces.

The country’s National Health Commission said that there were 1,455 patients with symptoms, 11,691 asymptomatic cases, and no new deaths reported.

In China’s financial hub Shanghai, nearly all of its 25 million residents were under stay-at-home orders on Saturday as officials rushed to curb the spread of the disease.

China, the country where the coronavirus was first detected in 2019, is among the last remaining places following a zero-Covid approach to the pandemic.

SOURCE: JORDAN NEWS AGENCY

Categories
Health

COVID-19 roundup: 45pct drop in cases in late March

The Ministry of Health Sunday said that the Kingdom recorded 17 coronavirus deaths and 1,731 infections in the 13th epidemiological week (26 March – 1 April), bringing the death toll from the pandemic to 14,048 and the caseload to 1,694,216.

Adel Bilbeisi, health adviser at the prime minister’s office and the official in charge of the COVID-19 crisis, said that the caseload for the week dropped by 45 percent from the previous week, adding that the death toll also dropped by 39 percent.

According to the ministry’s daily brief, the positivity rate of about 45,764 PCR tests collected nationwide was at 3.78 per cent. The number of currently active cases stood at 1,227, with 137 admitted to hospitals during the week and 167 cases have been discharged. It said that the total number of confirmed cases that are now hospitalized reached 124.

According to the weekly report, the occupancy rate of isolation beds in the northern region was 2 per cent, intensive care beds was 8 per cent and ventilators 1 per cent.

The occupancy rate of isolation beds in the central region was at 4 percent, intensive care beds 9 per cent and ventilators 4 per cent, it said.

In the southern region, the occupancy rate of isolation beds was at 2 per cent, intensive care beds 4 per cent and ventilators 3 per cent, it said.

The ministry said that 2,333 Covid-19 patients have recovered, bringing the total number of expected recoveries by the end of the 14-day isolation period to 1,678,941.

On vaccinations, the ministry said that a total of 4,740,611 people have taken the first dose of Covid vaccines and the number of those who were double-jabbed climbed to 4,455,974.

SOURCE: JORDAN NEWS AGENCY

Categories
Health

Global Covid-19 cases top 490mln

The global Covid caseload surged to 490 million as of Sunday, according to the American Johns Hopkins University.

Statistics showed that the pandemic’s death toll rose to 6.1 million, noting that the number of vaccinations administered globally reached 10.9 billion.

The United States is still at the top of the list of cases and deaths.

SOURCE: JORDAN NEWS AGENCY

Categories
Government Policy

JPMC, Romanian minister talk cooperation

Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Jordan Phosphate Mines Company (JPMC) Mohammad Thneibat on Sunday discussed with Romanian Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Adrian Chesnoiu exporting phosphate-based fertilizers.

During the meeting, Thneibat and Chesnoiu stressed the deep-rooted relations in various fields and the importance of cementing them to serve common interests.

Thneibat briefed the Romanian official on the company’s plans, stages of development and future projects, underscoring commitment to supplying Romania with its needs.

The meeting also tackled cooperation in manufacturing phosphoric acid and Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) fertilizer in Jordan or Romania.

For his part, Chesnoiu lauded the advancements Jordan made in the production and manufacturing of phosphate-based fertilizers, underlining commitment to boost cooperation with the JPMC.

SOURCE: JORDAN NEWS AGENCY

Categories
Government Policy

Senate Head, Hungary ambassador discuss relations

Senate President Faisal Fayez on Sunday met with Hungary Ambassador Attila Kali to discuss enhancing bilateral relations in various fields.

While discussing regional issues, Fayez stressed Jordan’s firm stance on the Palestinian cause and the need to resolve it according to international legitimacy resolutions and the two-state solution to enable Palestinians to establish an independent state.

He also underlined the deep-rooted relations between Jordan and the central European country that are “based on mutual respect and interest,” calling for upping investments and trade and addressing barriers hindering economic and trade ties.

For his part, the ambassador commended the Kingdom’s key role in bringing about peace in the region and hosting Syrian refugees, noting that Jordan, led by His Majesty King Abdullah II, plays a vital role in ending conflicts and crises in the Middle East.

He pointed to many cooperation prospects between the two countries, namely in education and tourism, underlining the need to boost relations and exchange expertise in the technological and agricultural fields.

SOURCE: JORDAN NEWS AGENCY

Categories
General

Warm weather forecast for Sunday

Moderate weather are forecast on Sunday in the hilltops and plains, and relatively hot conditions in the Jordan Valley, the Dead Sea and Aqaba, with northwesterly moderate winds, the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD) said in its daily update.

Mercury levels will slightly rise on Monday, while Tuesday will see a hot weather with daytime temperatures above seasonal average by 10 degrees Celsius. Clouds will appear at high altitudes with southeasterly moderate to brisk winds.

Similar conditions will persist on Wednesday and for the remainder of the week, the JMD added.

Mercury in Amman today will range between a high of 26 degrees Celsius and a low of 12C at night, while the port city of Aqaba will see a high of 36C, sliding to 18C at night.

SOURCE: JORDAN NEWS AGENCY

Categories
General

Gov’t launches interim wage subsidy program

The government on Sunday launched a program that aims to employ about 60,000 Jordanians in the private sector by granting temporary wage subsidies.

Under the National Employment Program 2022 (Tashgeel) for which an amount of JD80 million has been earmarked, the government will subsidize the salary of any employee appointed in the private sector at JD150 per month.

However, this benefit will be for a period of only 6 months for any employee, provided that the term of the work contract shall not be less than 12 months. Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh told a press conference that the program is a major commitment enshrined in the government’s economic action plan and priorities for the years 2021-2023.

He also pointed out that the program aims to have 35 percent of the beneficiaries be female, and 7 percent of those registered with the National Aid Fund, adding that people with disabilities are welcome to participate in the program.

Khasawneh said his government “has a directive that this year should be the year of real approaches to put us on the path of overcoming difficulties and challenges.”

More details about the new program can be found at: www.tashgheel.gov.jo.

SOURCE: JORDAN NEWS AGENCY

Categories
General

China expands digital yuan trials to more cities

China will expand its digital yuan trial to more areas from the current 11 cities and regions, according to the country’s central bank.

In a statement on Sunday, the People’s Bank of China said that the market’s response toward the use of the digital yuan in pilot cities and Winter Olympic venues has been good, as user and transaction scales have both been “growing steadily,”.

Trials have taken place in 10 cities and regions in addition to the closed loop of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games.

China’s digital yuan transactions hit nearly 87.57 billion yuan (13.78 billion U.S. dollars) at the end of 2021

SOURCE: JORDAN NEWS AGENCY