Category: General

The Cabinet on Wednesday approved a set of measures and proposals that would facilitate the flow of basic commodities and enhance the strategic stock, thus contributing to the stability of basic commodities and food prices.

Procedures, approved in a session chaired by Prime Minister, Bisher Khasawneh, included reducing inspection fees on imported foodstuffs by (30%) for three months, in all inspection stakeholders, namely: (the Ministry of Agriculture, the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), the Jordan Standards and Metrology Organization (JSMO), and the Jordan Food and Drug Administration (JFDA)).

The procedures also included reducing customs duties on some basic foodstuffs, increasing work efficiency and expediting completion of customs transactions, inspecting containers arriving at the port of Aqaba (Yard No. 4) from all regulatory authorities, and mandating them to work 24/7.

They also included extending the exemption period for storing containers from (6) days to (14) days for three months for basic materials only, in addition to reducing the inspection fees on containers in Yard No. 4 by (JD15) per container for basic materials for three months. Under the decision, the inspection fee for a 40-feet capacity container becomes (JD60) instead of (JD75), and a 20-feet capacity container will worth (JD50) instead of (JD65).

Source: jordan News Agency

The Cabinet on Wednesday approved a draft law on the protection of personal data of 2021.

The draft law aims to enhance the constitutional rights and freedoms stipulated in the Jordanian constitution and to consolidate the Kingdom’s position among countries that regulate the digital environment and protect personal data in light of the ease of its collection, retention and processing, and to prevent attacks on the right of citizens and residents to protect their personal data and privacy established under the provisions of the constitution and related laws.

The draft law also aims to create a legal framework that creates balance between mechanisms of individuals’ rights to protect their personal data, and allowing data and information to be processed and preserved in the light of cyberspace, and the spread of concepts of big data and industrial intelligence.

It also establishes regulatory frameworks for preserving and processing personal data within clear restrictions and obligations, which contributes to enhancing the necessary confidence in engaging in the digital economy and contributing to promoting e-commerce and services in the Kingdom.

The draft also comes to build an enabling environment to ensure the safety of cyberspace and support its stability, and to define obligations and duties imposed on the person responsible for personal data, its processor and recipient, and penalties and fines imposed on violators of the provisions of the law, regulations and instructions issued pursuant thereto.

Under the draft law, a Personal Data Protection Board will be formed, and its mandates and authorities, and tasks of the organizational unit specialized in protecting personal data will be identified within the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship.

In the same session, chaired by Prime Minister, Bisher Khasawneh, the Council of Minister also approved the Government Procurement System of 2021, which aims to clearly reorganize government procurement procedures and remove ambiguity from some standards in this process.

On the other hand, the Cabinet decided to appoint Minister Plenipotentiary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Asal Al-Tall as the Kingdom’s ambassador to the Republic of South Korea, and to name Jordan’s ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Daifallah Al-Fayez, as a non-resident ambassador to the Republic of Estonia.

The Cabinet also agreed to terminate services of Director General of the Awqaf Funds Development Department, Mahmoud Al-Hadid, at his request, and to accept the resignation of head of the Technical and Vocational Skills Development Commission (TVSDC), Qais Al-Safasfah.

Source: jordan News Agency

The Cabinet Wednesday decided to extend its previous order by which lands and apartments would benefit from fee and tax exemptions until March 31, 2022.

The order would exempt lands and apartments from sale tax and registration fees, and fees for passing property to heirs would be also exempted from registration fees.

It was also decided to exempt the first 150 square metes of a house from registration fees, irrespective of the house’s size. The tax on the extra square meters in a house will be slashed by 50 percent, the order highlights. Nevertheless, only Jordanians will benefit from the order.

As for lands, the registration and tax fees will be also cut by 50 percent to spur investments and breathe life into the market.

Source: jordan News Agency