Khaberni - The Cabinet decided in its session held this morning, Tuesday, chaired by Prime Minister Dr. Jaafar Hassan, to suspend the previous resolutions that mandated the mandatory termination of employees who have served 30 years or more, or have 360 social security subscriptions or more, effective today.
The decision comes to achieve a balance between organizing the governmental apparatus and controlling expenditures, and maintaining human resources and expertise in the governmental departments as justified by need, enhancing the administrative flexibility in human resources management according to the actual need.
The decision restores the authority to the competent reference - as previously practiced - to terminate the services of employees who have reached 30 years or more of service or 360 social security subscriptions or more according to the needs of the department or institution.
On another note, the Cabinet decided to approve an agreement for settling the debts of King Abdullah University Hospital arising from medical treatments.
According to the agreement, the government will pay 10 million dinars to the hospital during this month, and it will commit to paying an amount of 3 million dinars monthly starting from the beginning of next year; until the entire amount estimated at approximately 39.6 million dinars is paid off, allowing the hospital to sustain its services.
The decision comes within the framework of the government's efforts aimed at settling all accumulated arrears from previous years for various entities, with the government having paid approximately 600 million dinars out of more than one billion dinars accumulated since its formation in September 2024, and it will work to settle the remaining amount over the next three years.
On another note, the Cabinet decided to approve the allocation of 10 million dinars to the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research; to enable the ministry to cover the fees for students who applied for scholarships or loans from the Student Support Fund and met the conditions for obtaining the scholarship or loan.
The decision aims to enable students who have obtained loans and scholarships from the University Student Support Fund to register for the courses of the second semester of the academic year 2025/2026 in the universities where they study.
The Cabinet also decided to approve an extension for the exemption of 75% of the fees imposed on horticultural agricultural goods prepared for export until December 31, 2026.
The decision aims to enable the agricultural sector to sustain its operations, expand, maintain employment opportunities, support exports, and achieve more marketing opportunities.
The Cabinet also decided to approve tax settlements between taxpayers and the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority according to the provisions of the law, based on the settlement principles in the pending claims between the taxpayers and violators and the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority for the year 2022.
The decision requires the concerned taxpayers to pay the full remaining amounts within two months from the date of its issuance.
The decision aims to stimulate economic activities in the Aqaba Special Economic Zone and sustain them, facilitate operations, and enable those in charge to correct their tax situations.
The Cabinet also decided to exempt fabric intended for importing for the exclusive production of environmental fabric bags from customs duties and other fees and taxes.
The decision comes as part of the government's efforts to expand the production of environmentally-friendly fabric bags as a healthier and better environmental alternative to other types, encouraging their use, and supporting employment programs in the governorates, which will allow participants in this program to manufacture this type of bags, leading to absorbing a larger number of workers within it.
