Lower House discusses results of poverty line studies in Jordan - Jordan News
Lower House discusses results of poverty line studies in Jordan Specialized parliamentary committees will meet Sunday in the Lower House to discuss several issues, most notably the discussion of raising telecommunications companies' fees without any justifications provided, by the Parliamentary Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship Committee. اضافة اعلان The Finance Committee will discuss the Audit Bureau's reports for the years 2022-2023, for the Ministry of Water and the water companies (Miyahuna, Yarmouk, Aqaba). The Joint Parliamentary Committee on Legal, Public Services and Transport is also discussing a draft law amending the Civil Aviation Law of 2024. The Labor Committee meets to discuss the economic modernization vision in relation to the demographic and social fields of both the Higher Population Council and the Department of Statistics. The Committee also will discuss studies and results on the poverty line in Jordan.
The Environment and Climate Committee meets to discuss issues related to the environment and climate.
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Jordan News
14-05-2025
- Jordan News
Senate Approves Three Draft Laws as Passed by Lower House - Jordan News
Senate Approves Three Draft Laws as Passed by Lower House The Jordanian Senate, in a session held Wednesday and chaired by Speaker Faisal Al-Fayez with the presence of Cabinet members, approved three draft laws as received from the House of Representatives. These include the Cooperatives Law, the Virtual Assets Regulation Law, and the Amendment to the Penal Code. اضافة اعلان Cooperatives Law The law establishes a fund within the Cooperative Institution to finance the cooperative sector and an institute to promote cooperative work culture. It also strengthens the institution's supervisory and regulatory role over cooperatives and organizes the activities of cooperative branches and foreign cooperative unions. Virtual Assets Regulation Law This law aims to regulate virtual asset activities to protect users, defining the responsibilities and authorities of the Securities Commission in overseeing the sector. Penal Code Amendment The amendment seeks to expand the application of alternatives to custodial sentences, improve the rehabilitation and reintegration of convicts into society, and introduce suspension of sentences after a final verdict. It also allows for the postponement or installment of fines. The Senate also approved the Finance and Economic Committee's report and recommendations on the Audit Bureau's 2023 report, which highlighted several key issues: Uncollected case values from the Ministry of Justice's enforcement departments totaling JOD 633 million. Outstanding dues from Social Security subscribers amounting to JOD 719 million. Debts owed by municipalities and joint services councils amounting to JOD 281 million. A call for amendments to the Public Funds Collection Law to ensure more effective collection, including selling seized immovable properties at auction after one year of seizure. Budget Implementation Observations The report pointed out low expenditure rates for some projects between 2021–2023 and the reallocation of funds without corrective measures. It noted: 177 treasury-funded projects spent less than 35% of their budgets. 705 projects had reallocated funds, indicating the need for more accurate capital expenditure estimates aligned with a results-based budgeting approach. Additional Recommendations Form a joint committee between the Audit Bureau and Ministry of Finance to regularly settle outstanding advances. Allocate funds for medical exemptions and address financial arrears structurally. Investigate loan portfolios amounting to JOD 755 million, with zero drawdown rates, despite the treasury incurring commitment fees exceeding JOD 5 million in 2023. Governance and Municipal Debt The report stressed completing studies before signing funding agreements, institutionalizing corporate governance systems, especially in companies under Audit Bureau oversight, and warned of: Rising municipal debt. Disproportionate operating vs. capital expenditures. Urged continued support for the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) project. Recommended developing municipal audit departments, training allocations, and improving collection efficiency for outstanding dues. (Source: Petra News Agency)
Jordan Times
05-05-2025
- Jordan Times
Lower House passes recommendations on Audit Bureau's 2022-2023 report, Virtual Assets Regulation Law
The Lower House passes on Monday the recommendations of its Finance Committee regarding the Audit Bureau's reports for the years 2022 and 2023 (Petra photo) AMMAN — The Lower House passed on Monday the recommendations of its Finance Committee regarding the Audit Bureau's reports for the years 2022 and 2023. The committee's recommendations include the formation of a permanent committee tasked with monitoring the spending of financial allocations for capital projects funded by loans and grants. The aim is to ensure that borrowing costs do not rise due to project delays or the failure to secure full funding from grants, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. The committee has also recommended that grant and loan agreements be aligned with relevant laws and called for conducting feasibility studies for capital projects, and for halting the transfer of financial allocations between projects that do not yield significant results. It also highlighted the importance of implementing water loss reduction projects. MP Awni Zou'bi, the committee's rapporteur, said that "the lack of cooperation between the concerned departments and the Ministry of Public Works has contributed to delays in project completion, higher borrowing costs, and financial penalties,' calling for holding accountable those behind 'administrative negligence.' The committee also called for a review of contract terms to identify weaknesses and address instances of negligence in fulfilling contractual obligations. 'The arbitration decisions had resulted in payments of around JD73 million from the Treasury in connection with 108 concluded cases,' Zou'bi said. The committee has also recommended a review of the objectives and financial sustainability of the state-owned companies in which the government holds a 50 per cent stake to ensure that they do not incur further losses that could burden the Treasury in the future, according to Petra. The committee emphasised the need for state-owned companies to comply with corporate law, issue financial statements in accordance with legal deadlines, and adopt strategies to reduce operating costs. Also on Monday, the House approved the draft law on regulating the handling of virtual assets for the year 2025. Head of the Parliamentary Committee on Digital Economy, Hussein Khreisha, said the draft law 'will not prevent citizens from trading in virtual currencies and licensed platforms, hailing the dedicated follow-up by HRH Crown Prince Hussein for the attention he pays to the digital economy and virtual assets. He said that the issue plays an important role in empowering Jordanian youth with modern tools and enhancing their role in building a knowledge-based and innovative economy. He added that passing the Virtual Assets Regulation Law is a pivotal step aligned with Royal directives calling for keeping pace with global technological advancements and enhancing Jordan's standing in digital innovation. He pointed out that the law is no longer a 'deferred option, but a pressing national necessity in light of the official ban on this type of transaction, especially with regard to the growth in citizen activity in the field.' 'Estimates suggest that over 100,000 Jordanians trade virtual assets through global platforms, with a transaction volume nearing JD900 million,' he said. Minister of Political and Parliamentary Affairs Abdul Moneim Odat said that the law requires service providers to be legal entities and to register a company in Jordan, with known capital, budget, and location, to ensure a legal framework for those dealing with such companies and to provide legal and rights-based guarantees. He added that the law will regulate dealings in virtual assets instead of leaving them unlegislated, saying, 'Today, this law enters Jordan's legislative environment, and in its minimum form, aligns with all other existing legislation. The law is in the interest of citizens dealing in virtual assets.' Minister of State for Economic Affairs Muhannad Shehadeh said that one of the main reasons behind the draft law 'is the large volume of trading by Jordanians through digital platforms based outside of Jordan, estimated at around JD900 million.' Page 2
Jordan Times
05-05-2025
- Jordan Times
NPC seeks to drill 145 gas wells, reach 418mcf of daily output by 2030
Receiving a delegation from the Lower House's Energy and Mineral Resources Committee, Director-General of the National Petroleum Company Mohammed Khasawneh says that increasing gas production will contribute to reducing the energy bill across various sectors (File photo) AMMAN — Director-General of the National Petroleum Company (NPC) Mohammed Khasawneh on Monday said that the company's 2025–2030 strategic plan aims to drill 145 gas wells and reach a total daily gas production of 418 million cubic feet. During a visit by the Lower House's Energy and Mineral Resources Committee to NPC, Khasawneh said that this gas production would contribute to reducing the energy bill across various sectors and support achieving self-sufficiency in natural gas, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. He noted that the company's plan is based on three key tracks: accelerating production by increasing the number of drilling rigs and expanding the gas processing plant; preparing technical and financial studies for the construction of a gas pipeline; and ensuring the availability of a consumer base for the produced gas. The director-general also highlighted the importance of increasing production volumes from the Risha gas field and delivering natural gas to the industrial sector, given its role in reducing energy costs in this vital area. Khasawneh reviewed the 'notable' success achieved at the Risha gas field in recent times, thanks to the efforts of the company's national workforce, referring to the size of the field, the equipment used in the drilling operations, and the contribution of the national staff working for the company. Committee members, headed by MP Haitham Ziadin, were briefed on the current operations of NPC and its efforts in extracting natural gas from the Risha field. Ziadin stressed the importance of exploring the Kingdom's mineral wealth, particularly the Risha gas reserves, as a means of fulfilling the vision of relying on Jordanian gas, which would have a direct impact on boosting the national economy. The lawmaker added that gas exploration at Risha would have a direct impact on various economic sectors, help reduce production costs for the industrial sector, create more jobs, and have a positive effect on citizens. He noted that the Lower House would utilise all available means to support the role of the company in achieving further success in gas extraction, reiterating the importance of joint efforts among relevant entities to explore natural and mineral resources nationwide. Talks during the meeting also addressed the importance of the company's recent tender to drill gas wells at Risha on a lump-sum turnkey basis (LSTK), which includes drilling 80 wells over a three-year period to enhance the efficiency of drilling operations and increase the field's production capacity.
