Aqaba, Jan. 20 (Petra) – Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) Chief Commissioner Nayef Al Fayez, said that Aqaba is the most flexible in handling trade matters and serves as a model of cooperation between the ASEZA and both the public and private sectors.

During a coordination meeting on Monday with directors of relevant government departments and the private sector regarding supply chains, attended by Aqaba Governor Khaled Hajaj, President of the Aqaba Governorate Council Harb Owiedat, and President of the Aqaba Chamber of Commerce Nael Kabareti, Al-Fayez emphasized the importance of leveraging opportunities to capitalize on the current situation, highlighting the need for readiness, unified monitoring efforts, and facilitating procedures related to supply chains.

He said that all relevant departments in Aqaba are fully prepared to meet the Kingdom's needs for the holy month of Ramadan and to overcome challenges to streamline supply chains and work as a unified team in cooperation with all concerned parties. He pointed out that initial indicators suggest taking advantage of the current trade situation, increasing mutual trade between Jordan and Syria, and creating a conducive environment for that, including through ports, airports, and customs yards, speeding up procedures, alleviating burdens on traders, and reviewing targeted rates in customs yards.

For his part, Hajaj stated that the opportunity is now available to benefit from the surrounding situation and make the appropriate decisions. He added that it is time for import and export procedures to be simplified, calling for collaboration between regulatory, commercial, and executive entities to facilitate all procedures, overcome challenges, and address issues facing the commercial sector and transportation operations.

Kabareti expressed hope for an improvement in the trade situation compared to previous years, highlighting the importance of benefiting from the situation in Syria, strengthening cooperation between the two countries, particularly in the commercial sector, and easing procedures for traders and investors.

He emphasized preparing the ports to handle import, export, and transportation operations.

He confirmed the availability of ample food supplies and noted that surplus goods will lead to price competition among traders, stressing the need to ease monitoring processes for traders and work with them on regulatory violations related to Ramadan tents.

The attendees expressed their hope for the resumption of maritime traffic soon following the cessation of the aggression on Gaza, and stressed the need to intensify efforts by the Aqaba Industry and Trade Directorate to monitor markets by inspecting food stocks, monitoring prices, and combating fake campaigns.

They also emphasized the importance of operating customs yards around the clock in coordination with the Customs Department, reducing shipping service costs, and the need for supporting yards for vehicle imports. They called for activating surveillance and inspection of targeted goods, verifying their source, and ensuring collaboration between agricultural laboratories and the Customs Department.

//Petra// AF

20/01/2025 23:45:18