Amman, July 12 (Petra) – Prime Minister Jafar Hassan on Sunday reaffirmed the government's commitment to advancing a comprehensive package of structural legislation targeting political, economic, and administrative modernization during the opening session of the Lower House of Parliament’s first extraordinary session.

In his opening address, the Prime Minister emphasized that the executive branch will maintain strict constitutional coordination with the House of Representatives. He noted that this partnership balances necessary oversight with legislative progress to serve national strategic interests.

The extraordinary session features six key draft laws outlined by Royal Decree. Foremost among these is the new Local Administration Draft Law, which the Prime Minister noted was developed following extensive consultations with parliamentary blocs, independent lawmakers, and members of the Senate. The amendment aims to empower municipal councils while establishing rigid mechanisms for financial accountability, performance evaluation, and governance.

Hassan explained that the local administration bill focuses on three primary pillars: optimizing municipal governance by clarifying boundaries between elected councils and executive branches, enforcing administrative discipline through public audits, and enhancing the quality of public services to stimulate regional development. The bill also mandates the digitization of municipal services and the publication of periodic financial reports to increase transparency.

In line with administrative and educational modernization, the Prime Minister outlined upcoming legislative reviews for the Jordanian Universities Draft Law, the Higher Education Accreditation and Quality Assurance Commission Law, and the Vocational Work Regulation Law. These legal frameworks are timed to integrate with the structural establishment of the newly consolidated Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development, which officially assumes its legal mandate in mid-August as the successor to both the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.

Addressing economic reforms, the Prime Minister stated that the draft amendment to the Real Estate Property Law aligns with the Economic Modernization Vision to lower investment barriers. The law introduces electronic signatures for all Department of Lands and Survey transactions, accelerates joint-ownership resolution procedures, and permits off-plan property sales to stimulate the construction and contracting sectors. Additionally, it mandates a five-year statutory ceiling for the payout of public eminent domain compensations to protect citizen property rights.

To support consumer purchasing power and market stability, the government is seeking approval for a legislative framework to merge the Civil Service Consumer Corporation and the Military Consumer Corporation. This consolidation aims to build economies of scale, lower commodity prices for citizens, and reinforce the Kingdom's strategic food and goods reserves.

//Petra// AA


12/07/2026 12:31:13