AMMAN — The Cabinet, during a session chaired by Prime Minister Jafar Hassan on Sunday, approved a draft law amending the 2025 National Service and Reserve Service Duty Law, forwarding it to the Lower House in line with constitutional procedures for deliberation in the next parliamentary session.

 

The law is part of the legislative framework to reactivate the national service programme, which would be launched in February 2026 following HRH Crown Prince Hussein’s announcement of its reinstatement, according to a Prime Ministry statement.

 

The amendments regulate the legal requirements for implementing the programme, outline acceptable cases for deferral, and empower the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF) to provide training at its centres and institutes. These training programmes may be credited toward university requirements under instructions issued by the Cabinet.

 

The law also abolishes provisions granting national service graduates priority for employment in the public and private sectors.

 

In the area of public sector modernisation, the Council of Ministers endorsed the rationales for a draft bylaw governing the mechanisms and procedures of the Personal Data Protection Department for 2025, issued under Article 24 of the Personal Data Protection Law No. 24 of 2023. The bylaw would be referred to the Legislation and Opinion Bureau for finalisation.

 

The bylaw aims to clarify the department’s operational mechanisms, ensure effective enforcement of the law, and secure full compliance across all sectors. It regulates the department’s functions, procedures, oversight tools, and complaint-handling processes, establishing a fair and transparent system for addressing data breaches.

 

The Cabinet also gave green light to the reasons for a draft bylaw amending the administrative structure of the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Supply for 2025. The draft would be sent to the Legislation and Opinion Bureau for completion of issuance procedures.

 

The amendment aligns with Article 7 of the Public Sector Human Resources Management System No. 33 of 2024, which mandates the creation of a human resources and institutional development department. It also ensures compliance with the Personal Data Protection Law by creating a specialised unit to manage, classify, and safeguard data.

 

In line with the Economic Modernisation Vision, the draft renames the "Trade Department" to "Department for Domestic Trade Development", reflecting its expanded mandate. It also seeks to improve directorate efficiency by redistributing their reporting lines, enhancing programme execution, and updating job titles for assistant secretaries-general to better align with their roles.

 

Additionally, the Cabinet approved the reasons for a draft bylaw amending the administrative structure of the Hajj Fund for 2025, conditional on a review of its administrative divisions to define each role within the fund, reduce duplication, establish performance benchmarks, and streamline reporting lines.

 

In support of the agricultural sector, the Cabinet approved the reasons for a draft bylaw amending the 2025 Bylaw on Leasing Agricultural Units and Other Lands in the Jordan Valley, referring it to the Legislation and Opinion Bureau.

 

The bylaw expands beneficiary eligibility, supports start-ups and development initiatives, and introduces greater flexibility in leasing to accommodate large-scale, integrated agricultural projects. It also subjects Wadi Arabah to the same leasing regulations as the rest of the Jordan Valley and grants the Jordan Valley Authority’s Board of Directors, with Cabinet approval, the discretion to grant case-by-case exemptions in line with development priorities.

 

To improve public services, the Cabinet endorsed the reasons for a draft bylaw regulating electoral campaign materials and their monitoring within the Greater Amman Municipality for 2025. The bylaw would establish clear rules for campaign materials to prevent visual clutter, protect public safety at intersections and pedestrian crossings, and safeguard public property such as utility poles, traffic signs, and roadside trees.

 

The Cabinet approved a financing agreement for projects in water, sanitation, and public safety in Syrian refugee-hosting areas, specifically in Azraq. The projects aim to rehabilitate and expand water networks, modernise sanitation systems, and protect groundwater resources in line with the Water Sector Strategy 2023–2040 and the Economic Modernisation Vision.