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