Amman, June 23 (Petra) — The Jordan Engineers Association (JEA)
briefed Minister of Public Works and Housing Maher Abul Samen on the
operational outcomes of its Pension Fund Steering Committee and the
Legislative Modernization Committee.

The briefing took place during the minister’s visit to the
association’s headquarters, where he met with JEA President Abdullah
Ghousheh and members of the JEA council, in the presence of ministry
officials.

Abul Samen stated that Prime Minister Jafar Hassan directed the
government to cooperate closely with the association to resolve its
challenges and address the issues it presents. The minister confirmed
that the ministry is open and ready to provide the support needed to
implement the JEA’s professional, legal, and financial initiatives.

He also highlighted the ministry’s ongoing support for training newly
graduated engineers, noting that approximately 250 engineers are
covered under this program, some of whom have already commenced their
training within the ministry.

For his part, Ghousheh expressed his gratitude to the government,
represented by the Prime Minister and the Minister of Public Works,
for their cooperation. He commended a prior meeting held with the
Prime Minister, emphasizing that it established a solid foundation
for future collaboration.

Ghousheh reviewed the primary files the JEA aims to complete this
year, particularly regarding the pension fund and legislative
amendments to the JEA law. He also discussed the training agreement
signed with the ministry and the joint workshops required to support
engineers employed within the public sector.

JEA Vice President and Chairman of the Pension Fund Steering
Committee, Ahmad Al-Falahat, outlined the committee’s findings,
timeline, and the legal steps required for approval and
implementation.

Al-Falahat noted that eight scenarios regarding the future of the
pension fund are under consideration. He emphasized the committee’s
recommendation to segregate the financial liabilities of the funds
and to introduce an engineering stamp fee to support the pension
fund. This followed a comprehensive reform plan presented by the
Executive Director of the Pension Fund, Eng. Ahmad Al-Bo, which
covered diagnosis, challenges, and proposed solutions.

Furthermore, JEA Council Member and Chairman of the Legislative
Modernization Committee, Saleh Al-Ghuwairi, detailed the committee’s
progress. He explained that four specialized subworking groups were
formed, which have since submitted their recommendations and proposed
amendments to the JEA’s laws and regulations.

The meeting also touched upon the cooperation agreement signed
between the JEA and its Egyptian counterpart, the Engineering Studies
and Research Center, and the inspection tours conducted by the
National Building Council across the governorates. The attendees
stressed the importance of intensifying these inspections and
directing the formed committees to maintain continuous oversight on
construction permits and various building licenses.

//Petra// AF