Cabinet approves key economic decisions, extends vehicle licensing exemption

AMMAN — The Cabinet on Tuesday, during a session led by Prime Minister Jafar Hassan, decided to extend the exemption of unlicensed vehicles from additional fees (penalties) until January 30.

The decision also applies to vehicles that have been unlicensed for over a year, waiving prior years' acquisition and re-registration fees until the same date.

The measure aims to provide vehicle owners with an opportunity to regularize their status, improve road safety, and streamline licensing procedures for long-unlicensed vehicles, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

The Cabinet also approved amendments to the policy granting investment incentives to small and medium-sized industrial projects in the Karak Industrial Institution.

The previous requirement of a minimum JD15 million investment to qualify for incentives has been removed.

Projects achieving at least 40 per cent local added value and employing a minimum of 150 Jordanian workers—70 per cent of whom must be residents of the governorate—will now benefit from reduced electricity and water costs, as well as labour subsidies, regardless of the investment size.

To support economic growth and investment, the Cabinet also endorsed recommendations from the settlement and conciliation committee regarding the resolution of pending cases between 270 companies and taxpayers, as well as the Income and Sales Tax Department.

The initiative aligns with the government's Economic Modernisation Vision and seeks to improve tax compliance, Petra reported.

The Cabinet also approved the Jordan Valley Authority’s Board of Directors plan to allocate 3,024 dunums of land in Ghor Al Ghamr and Qreiqra in Wadi Araba to the Wadi Araba Development Company, which will lease the land for palm and fruit cultivation projects.

The Cabinet also renewed the free zone license for the Jordan Duty-Free Company to continue its operations at Marka Civil Airport until April 30, 2025.

It also approved a 200,000 euro grant from the Spanish government, through the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), to fund a project aimed at modernising the National Centre for Human Rights in Jordan.