Jordan Times
Wednesday, September 22, 2004
Cabinet endorses decision to
create 4,125 jobs
By Mahmoud Al Abed and Khalid Dalal
AMMAN — The Cabinet yesterday approved a decision to create 4,125 job
opportunities in government institutions and public corporations.
“Around 3,590 vacancies will be created at different ministries and 535 jobs at
independent institutions,” Minister of State and Government Spokesperson Asma
Khader said, following a weekly Cabinet session.
According to a Finance Ministry statement made available to The Jordan Times, 86
per cent of the vacancies will be created at the Ministry of Education — a total
of 3,100 jobs.
Also yesterday, the Cabinet decided to allow truck drivers to replace their old
trucks with new ones exempted from custom duties.
The step includes reducing the General Sales tax on the new trucks from 16 to 7
per cent, Khader said.
The decision, which will be valid for two years, stipulates that the new trucks
should be imported in line with European standards.
Most of the local fleet of nearly 11,000 trucks are German-made and their spare
parts come from there.
Also approved by the Cabinet was a decision taken during the recently concluded
Arab League's Economic and Social Council which calls for removing all custom
duties among Arab countries as of 2005.
The Council of Ministers also decided to start offering free medical care and
treatment to the victims of domestic violence at hospitals and healthcare
centres functioning under the umbrella of the Health Ministry. “The decision
will include all domestic violence cases referred by the state-run Family
Protection Department and police stations,” said Khader.
In addition, the Cabinet endorsed a recently signed Free Trade Agreement between
Jordan and Singapore and delegated Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of
Industry and Trade Mohammad Halaiqa to start negotiating with Turkey to
establish a free trade zone between Amman and Ankara.
During their weekly session, the ministers approved a tender to establish a
national museum funded by a loan from Japan, and another tender to construct a
water treatment plant in Jerash Governorate funded by an Italian loan.
The Cabinet appointed Safwan Batayneh, who used to work at the Jordan Securities
Commission, as an economic consultant at the Prime Ministry.