Lower House endorses bills on Crown Prince foundation, metrology organisation

AMMAN — The Lower House on Wednesday endorsed the draft law on the projected Crown Prince Hussein Foundation.

Under the bill, a foundation in the Crown Prince’s name will be established and work to support voluntary, social and charitable efforts in the Kingdom.

It will carry out its mission through supporting local communities and developing the talents of young people, improving their living conditions and enhancing their role in development projects.

The foundation will be run and supervised by a board of trustees, comprising no less than four members, to be appointed upon a Royal Decree for a term of three years.

During its first meeting of the extraordinary session, the House also endorsed the 2015 amendments to the Jordan Standards and Metrology Organisation (JSMO) Law as referred from the Senate.

Under the amendments, importers can return goods that do not meet national standards to any country and not just the country of origin as stipulated in the 2008 version of the law.

Responding to MPs’ remarks calling for firmness when it comes to imported items that do not meet national standards, Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour said the Jordan Petroleum Refinery Company (JPRC) has failed to return the gas cylinders it imported from India, and the controversial shipment is still in Aqaba.

Ensour added that the JPRC has sold the gas cylinders to an Italian company at a loss of JD4 million.  

Earlier this year, the issue of the 250,000 gas cylinders the JPRC bought from India triggered public debate and grabbed headlines as the JSMO categorically refused to allow them into the local market saying they do not meet domestic safety standards.