Joint committee launched to follow up on Red Sea transportation developments

Amman: Jordan Chamber of Commerce (JCC) and Minister of Transport, Wissam Tahtamouni, agreed to form a joint committee, representing the Kingdom's public and private sectors to follow up on developments in the Red Sea region with regard to ship passage, especially those bound to the Jordanian port of Aqaba. The committee, which comprises public and private stakeholders, aims to orchestrate efforts and look into technical issues that contribute to overcome any obstacles related to maritime shipping, as was the case during Covid-19 pandemic. During a meeting held Thursday at the JCC headquarters, Tahtamouni said the government is studying a series of measures to limit impacts of the recent increase in shipping and insurance costs due to developments in Bab el-Mandeb Strait and change in shipping routes. The minister referred to current discussions with Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply, Yousef Shamali, about measures that can be taken to mitigate these effects on the local consumer. Additionally, the m inister noted future measures will resemble steps taken by the government during the Covid-19 pandemic, which depends on price estimates. The ministry, she said, is studying requests of the Kingdom's economic sectors aimed to reduce Suez Canal fees and customs duties on shipping fees. Tahtamouni referred to ongoing meetings with the Kingdom's various economic and service sectors to review the latest developments on reality of shipping routes. The minister referred to an increase in shipping and insurance costs, indicating that some maritime shipping lines have diverted their route via Cape of Good Hope, causing the journey to lengthen and shipping prices to rise. However, the minister said supply chains are continuing to reach the port of Aqaba, but the problem lies in the high costs. The ministry is working on multiple "strategic" projects to develop the Kingdom's transportation system with a "clear" plan consistent with Economic Modernization Vision, she pointed out. Source: Jordan News Agency