Jordan Times
Monday, January 26, 2009
Lower House endorses 2009
anti-human trafficking law
By Khetam Malkawi
AMMAN - The Lower House on Sunday endorsed the 2009 anti-human trafficking law
that seeks to prevent trade in workers.
According to the law, a national committee will be established to create
awareness in society on human trafficking and its dangers.
Jordan is a signatory to the UN Trafficking Protocol and is working to ratify
it, according to MP Mubarak Abu Yameen, who heads the House Legal Committee.
The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially
Women and Children, supplementing the Convention Against Transnational Organised
Crime, was adopted by the United Nations in Palermo, Italy, in 2000.
Also yesterday, 24 deputies signed a memorandum requesting House Speaker Abdul
Hadi Majali to invite members of the Palestinian Legislative Council to Jordan
in order to reach reconciliation.
During the three-hour session, as part of the “unscheduled topics” segment, 20
MPs took the podium. Some presented requests based on services, while others
reiterated their appreciation for Jordan’s stance regarding the Israeli attack
on Gaza. They also stressed the importance of national unity following the
Israeli offensive.
Earlier yesterday, the House Agricultural Committee recommended cancelling a tax
on phone calls and electricity earlier endorsed by the Chamber of Deputies and
subsequently rejected by the Senate.
The proposed tax was meant to support the livestock sector by facilitating
farmers' access to low-interest loans, through imposing a one-fils tax on each
minute of a mobile or landline phone call, in addition to one extra fils for
each kilowatt of electricity consumed monthly.
According to MP Wasfi Rawashdeh, who heads the committee, the reason behind
cancelling the tax is the imminent conclusion of the 15th Parliament’s second
ordinary session, expected next week.
He pointed that the panel issued the recommendation with a view to have a clear
vision of how the livestock sector will be supported by the government.
The government has already said that it would finance the livestock protection
fund through adding an appendix to the state budget.
But deputies had insisted that the process would be too time-consuming,
stressing that the fund needed immediate support and could not wait until the
government found other sources.
Also on Sunday, the House Financial Committee met with Audit Bureau President
Mustafa Barari, who agreed to provide the panel with monthly reports on the
financial and administrative performance of government institutions.
During the meeting, the committee also requested the bureau to tighten
monitoring on independent governmental institutions, including universities and
municipalities, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.