Parliament Advances Airport Agreement Amendment, Municipal Law Adjustments

Amman: The Lower House of Parliament, with a majority vote, approved a draft law ratifying an amendment to the agreement for the rehabilitation, expansion, and operation of the Queen Alia International Airport. Additionally, the Council decided, by majority vote, to refer a draft law amending the Amman Municipality Law of 2024 to the Joint Parliamentary Legal and Administrative Committee, following initial discussions. The legislative session, chaired by Ahmed Safadi and attended by Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh and Cabinet members, convened Monday. Regarding the draft law ratifying the airport agreement amendment between the government, represented by the Ministry of Transport, and the Airport International Group Company for 2024, the Lower House of Parliament approved it, while the vote on rejecting the "amended airport agreement" was unsuccessful. In the prior session, the Lower House had decided by majority to refer the "airport operation" agreement to the Parliamentary Public Services and Transport Committee amidst tension and debate among representatives. Last Thursday, the Parliamentary Public Services and Transport Committee commenced discussions on the draft law to ratify the airport agreement amendment, aiming to bolster Jordan's investment climate and ensure aviation and air cargo sector stability in accordance with the Constitution's Article 117. The government designated the draft law to ratify the airport agreement amendment as urgent, citing the need to maintain operational stability and enhance investment. Article 6 of the Amman Municipality Law of 2024 amendment sparked debate, focusing on the prohibition of seizing Municipality assets and the procedures following a final ruling against the Municipality, which is to be submitted for implementation. Representatives highlighted legislative inconsistency, notably amendments to the Municipality Law only two years ago. The government, designating the draft amending the Municipality law as urgent, aimed to modernize urban planning in Amman an d streamline procedures related to planning, organization, and development rights. Source: Jordan News Agency