Khaberni - Firstly: Decisions related to public finance and economic activity:
- Approval of the Insurance Contracts Bill for the year 2025 aimed at enhancing transparency and fairness between insurance companies and citizens.
- Approval of the settlement of 272 pending cases between taxpayers and the Income and Sales Tax Department.
Secondly: Decisions related to the implementation of major strategic projects
- Approval of the joint financing agreement for the desalination and water transfer project from Aqaba to Amman (the national water carrier) between the government and the donor parties to secure full funding required for implementation.
Thirdly: Decisions related to administrative modernization:
- Issuance of instructions for preparing impact assessment studies for the year 2025, representing an advanced implementation step to establish the approach of good organization in governmental work.
- Approval of the justifying reasons for the Administrative Organization System project of the Constitutional Court for the year 2025.
Fourthly: International Cooperation:
- Approval of a memorandum of understanding between the government and the government of the State of Palestine in the field of electrical energy.
Khaberni - The Council of Ministers decided in its session held today, Wednesday, chaired by Prime Minister Dr. Jaafar Hassan to approve the Insurance Contracts Bill for the year 2025, which aims to enhance transparency and justice in the relationship between insurance companies and citizens.
The bill ensures the protection of the insured's rights by requiring insurance companies to respond to requests within only 10 days, preventing the imposition of unfair or ambiguous terms.
It also contributes to stimulating investment and supporting the national economy by providing a developed legislative environment, alongside addressing negative phenomena such as the purchase of "crocs" and criminalizing them legally and imposing clear penalties.
The bill aims to enhance confidence in the insurance sector and achieve the principle of fair compensation that protects the rights of all parties.
The bill ensures that the contract terms are clear, simple, and interpreted in favor of the insured in case of any ambiguity.
It also emphasizes the right to fair compensation equivalent to the actual loss, and a maximum of the agreed insurance amount, also preventing the imposition of ambiguous or unfair terms that lead to depriving the citizen of compensation.
The bill establishes clear rules regulating the stages of the insurance process starting from the stage of submitting an insurance request to the conclusion and execution of the contract, highlighting the general and special terms, conditions, coverages, exclusions, and necessary information that must be available in the insurance contract as a minimum, such as the insured interest, the nature of the risks insured against or from, the insurance amount and premium, and the date of contract conclusion, its validity date, time, and duration.
Based on the bill, legal provisions consider the specifics of the insurance contract in general, and certain types especially, such as contracts for insurance on persons or property, life, or from fire and other property damages, medical insurance contracts, marine insurance contracts, and reinsurance contracts.
The bill defines the obligations incumbent upon both parties to the insurance contract and clarifies the legal provisions resulting from its termination based on justified reasons before the expiration of its term and the obligations resulting therefrom on the insurer and the insured.
It also specifies the limitation period preventing the hearing of claims arising from the insurance contract, the cases where this period is interrupted, and the date when the right arises for the insurer and third parties to file claims.
On another note, the Council of Ministers also approved the settlement of 272 pending cases between taxpayers and the Income and Sales Tax Department based on the recommendations of the committee specialized in studying these settlements according to the controlling legislation.
This decision continues the measures taken by the government to enable economic activity owners, taxpayers, and investors to correct their tax status in case of any violations, thus easing their burden and allowing the sustainability of their economic activities and businesses.
And the Council decided to approve the joint financing agreement for the desalination and water transfer project from Aqaba to Amman (the national carrier) between the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan represented by the Ministry of Water and Irrigation and the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation and the donors' group.
This agreement forms a major station and the most important part of the financial closure topic of the project to reach the full financing required to implement this strategic project aimed at desalinating and transferring 300 million cubic meters of water annually from Aqaba to Amman and meeting the water needs of the population in the Kingdom.
The Council of Ministers approved the instructions for preparing impact assessment studies for the year 2025, which represent an advanced implementation step to establish the approach of good regulation in governmental work.
The instructions come in light of the issuance of the Good Organization and Impact Assessment Regulation for legislation and policies approved by the government at the beginning of this year and entering into force at the beginning of September 2025 to establish the legal framework and general principles for impact assessment, while the instructions translate this regulation into practical application procedures, detailing the technical and regulatory steps necessary to ensure quality implementation on the ground.
The instructions interpret the regulations and detail the mechanisms for applying it, specifying the path and level of impact study (basic, detailed, or subsequent assessment), and clearly assigning roles between the Good Organization Unit and the government departments, setting specific conditions for exceptions from evaluation in emergency or urgent cases with the obligation of the entity to conduct a subsequent evaluation.
The instructions also unify the impact study model and confirm the adoption of professional standards in analysis and consultations with stakeholders and documenting them.
These instructions contribute to achieving harmony with the best international practices and standards in impact assessment, enhancing the quality of policies and legislation, and affirming transparency and accountability in governmental work.
Further, the Council of Ministers approved the justifying reasons for the Administrative Organization System project of the Constitutional Court for the year 2025
The system's project aims to regulate the administrative work for the court's employees, streamline the organizational structure, focus on specialized legal functions, prevent redundancy and repetition of tasks while focusing on the optimal use of human resources, achieving harmony and alignment with public sector human resources management.
The system's project works on activating the role of the court's technical office through amending its instructions to enhance its efficiency as a legal device contributing and supporting the effective role of the General Assembly of the Court, requiring modifying the organizational structure of the Constitutional Court by canceling or changing the organisational level of some directorates and merging some organizational sections and units.
On another note, the Council decided to approve a memorandum of understanding between the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan represented by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and the government of the State of Palestine represented by the Palestinian Energy and Natural Resources Authority in the field of electric power, in light of the discussions between the Jordanian and Palestinian sides regarding the electrical interconnection projects between the two countries.
The memorandum aims to enhance partnership, coordination, and cooperation between the sides in the field of regional electrical interconnection through coordinating efforts, exchanging technical expertise and information, and providing the necessary facilitations to implement electrical interconnection projects between the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the State of Palestine.
It is hoped that these interconnection projects will contribute to diversifying and enhancing the sources of electric power supply in both countries and improving the efficiency and reliability of their electrical networks.
It also contributes to the optimal use of available resources on both sides and establishing new electrical interconnection facilities to provide higher capacities to serve the electrical system in both countries, based on the technical studies prepared or being prepared in this regard, including the ongoing study by the consulting company (CESI).
Cooperation and coordination will be carried out with the financing and supporting entities for the project, including the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and any other relevant entities, to provide the necessary technical and financial support for the electrical interconnection projects in addition to enhancing technical, economic, and administrative cooperation between the sides to achieve the purpose of this memorandum and contribute to increasing domestic energy production and reducing its costs, and exchanging technical information about the electrical systems of both countries to represent the best interconnection scenarios and enhance them whenever possible.
--(Petra)
