Khaberni - The Cabinet decided in its session held today, Wednesday, chaired by Prime Minister Dr. Jafar Hassan, to adopt a package of measures to deal with the repercussions of the current regional tensions and their expected impact on fuel prices and availability in the global market; aiming to ensure the sustainability of energy and electricity security and supply chains.
The package of measures included suspending the Cabinet's decision issued in 1978, which had restricted the importation of goods in containers at Aqaba Port, allowing their import through Jordanian land border crossings, for a period of one month starting from March 5, 2026; aiming to ensure the timely arrival of urgent container-loaded goods to their destinations in the Kingdom until the stabilization of the regional situation.
The Cabinet also decided to approve the exemption from customs duties and taxes on the increased shipping fees on goods, covering all goods imported by sea for six months starting from March 5, 2026, including general and special sales tax.
The decisions aim to ensure the stabilization of commodity prices and their supply and to prevent any global repercussions on their prices due to the regional situation.
The decisions also included allowing the Jordanian Logistics Company for Oil Facilities to import diesel and fuel oil on behalf of the National Electric Power Company, and allowing the National Electric Power Company to use part of the government's strategic diesel reserve; for the purpose of sustaining electricity generation in emergency situations, on the condition that the National Electric Power Company compensates the quantities of diesel it uses.
The measures also included exempting the imports of the National Electric Power Company of diesel and fuel oil from all duties and taxes, including special tax, customs duties, import stamp duties, and any other taxes and duties strictly for this purpose.
In the context of supporting investment and providing employment opportunities for Jordanians, the Cabinet decided to approve support for providing electricity to one of the industrial complexes in the Qatraneh area in Karak Governorate, provided that it hires 2,000 Jordanian employees over three years.
By decision, the National Electric Power Company will establish a new electricity transformation station in the Qatraneh area, with a total cost estimated at 6.5 million dinars, to be paid by the Jingsheng International Ceramics Company over 15 years, provided that the company commits to hiring 2,000 full-time Jordanian employees over the next three years.
The decision comes within the government's efforts to attract investments and expand them in the governorates, where the Prime Minister had announced during the Cabinet session held in Karak Governorate three weeks ago, that an agreement was reached to provide additional government support to expand an industrial complex in the Qatraneh area offering about 2,000 job opportunities for Jordanians willing to work in this complex, especially the local community members, confirming that the Ministry of Labor will provide the necessary training and suitable working conditions for that.
As part of the government's policy to settle accumulated arrears from previous years, the Cabinet decided to approve the payment of overdue amounts for the year 2024, owed to pharmaceutical company warehouses, amounting to 70 million dinars; bringing the total amounts paid by the government in recent weeks to about 357 million dinars.
The Cabinet had also decided in recent weeks to approve the payment of accumulated arrears from previous years, amounting to 42 million dinars in favor of printers assigned with printing textbooks and curricula, and 60 million dinars owed to electricity distribution companies by ministries and government and official institutions, in addition to 10 million dinars owed to the Water Authority, and 25 million dinars owed to Yarmouk Water Company, in favor of electricity distribution companies.
The package of decisions to settle arrears also included the payment of 100 million dinars to public universities, and the debt of King Abdullah University Hospital estimated at 40 million dinars, as well as the debt of the University of Jordan Hospital valued at 10 million dinars.
The final financial results for the year 2025, published by the Ministry of Finance at the beginning of this week, indicated that the government had paid 620 million dinars of accumulated arrears from previous years during 2024 - 2025, and it is expected that the total settled arrears will reach 920 million dinars by the end of 2026.
In the context of supporting investment, stimulating economic activities, improving services, and facilitating regulatory procedures in the Aqaba Special Economic Zone, the Cabinet decided to approve a series of incentive incentives in Aqaba, aligning with the goals of the economic modernization vision.
The incentives included facilitating the registration of companies, by exempting them from the registration fees for companies for the first time in the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, valued at 1000 dinars, besides reducing the registration fees for each economic activity to 300 dinars instead of 500 dinars.
It also included a reduction in activity license fees for unregistered institutions by 25%, with any amounts paid before the reduction in 2026 being credited.
The Cabinet also approved incentives to address outstanding liabilities between the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority and the taxpayers, and to regularize the financial and regulatory situations of tourist camps in the areas of Wadi Rum and diving villages.
These incentives included exempting tourist camps from rental fees for the year 2025; provided that previous dues are paid before the year 2025 either in cash or by installment with an initial payment of 25%, and the remaining amount on equal monthly installments for a maximum period of 24 months, in addition to exempting tourist camps by 100% from rents and licensing fees for the years 2024 and 2025, if they obtain the "Green Key" certificate, a prestigious international environmental label granted to tourist establishments and hotels that comply with strict and sustainable environmental standards, such as: energy conservation, waste reduction, and water management, awarded at the national level by the Royal Marine Conservation Society of Jordan.
These incentives will be applied from the date of the decision until December 31, 2026.
Concurrently, the Cabinet decided to allocate two parcels of land for the construction of a civil defense center to serve surrounding villages and tourist camps, and a security center to serve the villages of Wadi Rum and Deeseh.
In the context of completing legislative procedures to grant incentives and discounts for drivers in case of not committing violations, the Cabinet approved the system for enhancing road safety and incentives for drivers for the year 2026, after making adjustments to it during its discussion in the Diwan of Legislation and Opinion after approving the reasons last week.
The system provides drivers with continuous incentives and discounts if they do not commit any violations, or if they pay the fines early, thus encouraging compliance with the traffic law, which contributes to improving road safety and reducing accidents.
Under the system, a driver who goes a full year without committing any violation from the date of his vehicle's licensure will receive a 25% discount on fees, allowances, and prices due for the renewal of the vehicle’s registration, as stipulated in the driving license fees, vehicle registration, and licensing system.
A discount of 30% will also be granted on the value of the traffic violation if it is paid within 60 days from the date of the violation.
The system offers drivers the opportunity to facilitate the completion of their vehicle registrations.
The system excludes serious violations from the discount due to their danger, such as: reckless driving, running red lights, causing traffic accidents, fleeing the scene of an accident, tampering with vehicle license plates, and violations that result in causing human death or permanent disability to a person.
