Official & Government Press Release on the First Follow-Up Meeting between IBC Members & a Number of Jordan Ministers
We attach below the official and government press release published today on the first follow-up meeting that took place yesterday January 24th 2022 at the headquarters of the Ministry of Industry & Trade between members of the Iraqi Business Council, a number of Jordan Ministers, His Excellency the Mayor of Amman Dr. Yousif Al-Shawarbeh and President of Jordan & Amman Chambers Engineer Fathi Al- Jaghbir, which meeting was held to discuss the working-paper presented by the Iraqi Business Council and prepared by the Council’s Deputy Chairman & Secretary General Dr. Saad Naji addressed to His Excellency Jordan Prime Minister Dr. Bishr Al-Khesawneh.
The paper included the reality of Iraqi investment in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the challenges encountering the Iraqi investor, and in accordance with that paper, HE the Prime Minister directed holding a follow-up meeting to discuss the items contained therein and find solutions, bearing in mind the one of the paper’s outputs, which was announced yesterday during the meeting, was determining the technical inspection body and including it under the electronic umbrella of the Interior Ministry.
Dr. Saad Naji also presented a request to the assembled Ministers to cover Iraqis in the electronic support platform for electricity, which was launched recently, along with a further request to allow Iraqis in the Kingdom to donate blood to their families and relatives.
Press Release:
An extended meeting in the “Industry & Commerce” Chambers to discuss hardships facing investors and their remands.
Amman – A follow up on the meeting of Jordan Prime Minister Dr. Bishr Al-Kheswneh held last week with the Chairman and members of the Iraqi Business Council at the Prime Ministry headquarters.
A meeting took place yesterday, Monday, to discuss difficulties facing investors in the Kingdom and addressing them as soon as possible.
The meeting included Jordan Minister of Industry, Trade & Supply Mr. Yousif Al-Shamali, Interior Minister Mr. Mazen Al-Farayeh, Investment Minister Engineer Khairi Amr, Labor Minister Mr. Naif Estetiyeh, Amman Mayor Dr.
Yousif Al-Shewarbeh, the Iraqi Business Council’s Deputy Chairman and Secretary General Dr. Saad Naji, IBC members, President of Jordan and Amman Industry & Trade Chambers Engineer Fathi Al-Jaghbir, the Secretary General of Industry, Trade & Supply Ministry Mrs. Dana Al-Zubie and the Secretary General of Jordan Investment Ministry Mr. Zahir Qatarneh.
IBC Deputy Chairman & Secretary General Dr. Saad Naji and IBC members lauded the advantages Jordan enjoys in terms of security, stability and attractive investment environment and efforts exerted to address the issues and challenges facing investors, focussing on procedure related to the renewal of investors’ residence permits on investment basis and granting multiple entry visas to Iraqi businessmen and investors, the recent amendments to the law on granting citizenship to non-Jordanian investors, in addition to the cases brought in the judicial courts of law.
The Minister of Industry, Trade & Supply stressed Jordan government keenness to address the hardships facing investors, solving such difficulties and continuous communication with them and enhancing the investment environment.
Mr. Al-Shemali reviewed a number of procedures recently taken by the government such as accelerating issuance of professional licenses for about 30%-40% of the total demand for licensing economic businesses, in addition to working on developing the inspection system to become more transparent by reducing the overlap between the regulatory and monitoring authorities and organizing inspection visits to relieve burdens facing employers.
He also pointed out to developing an electronic platform to extend all services required by the investor via the internet since the start of the economic activity and during the stages of practicing such activity ending with exiting in cases of insolvency and bankruptcy.
During the meeting, Mr. Al-Shemali reviewed a number of support programs and frameworks extended by Jordan government to investors and economic sectors such as the industrial sector, where a fund was recently established to support industry and provide a package of incentives and credit facilities.
The Interior Minister affirmed his Ministry’s readiness to provide all possible facilities that would facilitate the investors’ businesses in the Kingdom within applicable controls, especially in issues relating to granting residence permits for investors and their families due to its importance to achieve the desired economic growth.
The Investment Minister further elaborated that investors and businessmen enjoy special care in Jordan; their concerns, comments and suggestions constantly followed up, stressing that meetings are constantly held with representatives of the private sector and investors for this purpose.
For his part, Jordan Labor Minister indicated that all matters, related to labor affairs would be clarified during the coming stage to contribute to addressing hardships facing investors.
The Mayor of Amman also stressed that Amman Municipality is fully prepared to extend facilities to investors in terms of granting appropriate approvals for their projects.
Mr. Al-Jaghbir further lauded the partnership currently exists between the public and private sectors, which forms the basis for discussing and addressing the hardships facing the economic sectors and improving the investment environment.
