AMMAN — The Ministry of Environment will not be an obstacle for investors, yet it will seek to amend some regulations, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Environment Omar Arabiyat said on Tuesday.

 

During a meeting at the Amman Chamber of Industry (ACI), attended by a number of industrialists working in various sectors, Arabiyat said the ministry would activate the partnership between the public and private sectors, in the interest of the national economy, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

 

He added that the next phase will witness immediate measures to be launched by the ministry, and a procedural reform package will be launched to simplify the business environment and remove obstacles.

 

With regard to plastic bags, Arabiyat said that the ministry encourages factories to switch to a green economy and a circular economy by switching to the production of biodegradable bags.

 

President of the Jordan and Amman chambers of industry Fathi Jaghbir stressed keenness to consolidate the fact that industry is the main supporter of the Jordanian economy and that it is the most capable of creating job opportunities.

 

Jaghbir highlighted the need for prior coordination between the ministry and industry chambers regarding decisions related to industrial work.

 

He pointed out that ACI would establish an office to study the environmental impact of factories, with the aim of meeting the environmental requirements related to impact studies that are requested from factories applying for approvals from the ministry, in order to help industrialists and save expenses.

 

During the meeting, Alaa Abu Khazneh, representative of the plastic industries sector at JCI, reviewed issues facing the sector, especially factories working in bag manufacturing, noting that many facilities producing black plastic bags are committed to the government's decision to ban their use, due to their harm to the environment.

 

There are a total of 291 plastic bag factories in Jordan, which employ about 8,000 workers.