Jordan Times
Monday, October 18, 2004
Cabinet approves amendments to
several laws
By Rami Abdelrahman
AMMAN The Cabinet on Sunday approved amending several laws in order to
delegate some of its authority to ministers or officials directly dealing with
the issues mentioned in the laws.
According to Minister of State and Government Spokesperson Asma Khader, the
decision was taken to reduce the Prime Ministry's burden in terms of decision
making on issues that ministers can handle without referring to the Cabinet.
The decision includes authorising the minister of interior to be in charge of
giving back Jordanian citizenship to those who renounced it to acquire
citizenship of another country. Such decisions were previously under the
jurisdiction of the Prime Ministry.
During the Cabinet meeting late yesterday, the minister of finance was given the
authority to exempt those who owe a maximum of JD2,500 to the public up from
JD1,000 with sums over this amount requiring Cabinet approval.
The minister was also authorised to allow banks or debtors to buy transferable
or non-transferable assets, as well as exempt subjects from land registration
fees if the subject is mentioned in the related law.
The minister was also authorised to sell government-owned assets and lease
government-owned facilities for the benefit of the Treasury, and take decisions
on overtime payments. In addition, the finance minister was empowered to allow
vehicles into the country on a temporary-entry basis.
According to Khader, temporary changes regarding the Social Security Law were
enforced during the meeting, with a pledge for a better social security system
in the near future.
The Cabinet also decided that extending terms of civil service employees would
be left to the concerned minister. Those selected to study abroad by the
Ministry of Education should be employed as soon as they return without going
through the Civil Service Bureau, Khader added.
The new amendments also allow ministers to send up to a four-member delegation
abroad on the ministry's expense without referring to the Cabinet.
The Cabinet also decided to allow ministers to purchase goods of up to JD3,000
in value up from JD1,000 without referring to the Council of Ministers, and
ministry purchasing departments to buy goods of up to JD20,000 up from
JD10,000 without referring to the Prime Ministry, Khader told reporters.
The Cabinet also endorsed amending the law covering societies supporting the
physically challenged, to exempt all their sales of a medical and educational
nature from income and sales tax.
During the first of many meetings expected to take place during this week, ahead
of the government reshuffle, the Cabinet authorised the minister of agriculture
to take control of the Jordan Valley Authority, on condition that all decisions
are presented to the Cabinet every six months.