Amman, Jan. 4 (Petra) - The Jordan Industrial Estates Company (JIEC) and Diamond Carpet and Rug Manufacturing Company on Sunday signed an investment agreement in Tafilah Industrial Estate valued at JD10 million, expected to create about 200 jobs across its various operational phases.

According to a JIEC statement, the new investment will be established on an area of 28 dunums and will specialize in the manufacture of carpets and moquette.

JIEC Acting Director General Uday Obaidat said the number of industrial investments in Tafilah Industrial City has so far reached 25 industrial companies, with a total investment volume exceeding JD109 million, providing around 800 job opportunities.

He explained that the city is distinguished by its strategic geographic location and its connection to the main road network, which has contributed to enhancing its operational efficiency and increasing its investment attractiveness, while consolidating its role within the Jordanian industrial cities system in supporting balanced economic development and stimulating industrial growth in the governorates.

Obaidat said the new investment is a qualitative one and reflects growing confidence in the investment environment of Jordanian industrial cities, particularly in Tafilah Industrial Estate, as it will provide hundreds of job opportunities for residents of the governorate, which is distinguished by its geographic location and human resources, contributing to supporting the local labor market and enhancing economic development in Tafilah.

He noted that the new investment came as a result of recent government incentives aimed at supporting the industrial sector and investments in Tafilah Industrial Estate, which included discounts on electricity prices and reductions in sales and rental prices, in addition to its inclusion in production branches programs and the granting of a 50 percent discount on handling costs at the Aqaba Container Terminal.

For his part, Director General of Diamond Carpet and Rug Manufacturing Company Mahmoud Abu El-Enain praised JIEC's efforts in creating an attractive investment environment for industrial investments, commending the regulatory procedures in place and the integrated infrastructure enjoyed by Tafilah Industrial City, which he described as a key factor in the success of investments specialized in carpet and moquette manufacturing.

Earlier last year, the Cabinet approved an additional package of investment incentives for Tafilah Industrial Estate, including a 50 percent reduction in land prices, bringing the price per square meter down to 5 dinars instead of 10 dinars, in addition to granting new companies and factories in the city free electricity for three years, alongside the investment incentives previously granted to the city.

The new industrial investments also target reducing the price per square meter for investments seeking to purchase areas exceeding 20 dunums, while the decision grants industrial companies established or registered in Tafilah Industrial Estate within one year of the decision’s issuance free electricity for three years.

The incentives also include reducing electricity energy prices for a period of 10 years at graduated rates ranging from 75 to 25 percent, whereby industrial investments receive a 75 percent discount on electricity bills for the first five years, 50 percent for the sixth, seventh and eighth years, and 25 percent for the ninth and tenth years.

The package further includes the inclusion of Tafilah Industrial Estate in the production branches program through increasing support provided to Jordanian labor for five years instead of three, covering payment of 50 percent of the minimum wage plus 25 dinars for social security and 25 dinars for transportation. In addition, goods exported through the Aqaba Container Terminal and manufactured in Tafilah Industrial Estate will receive a 50 percent discount for five years, under special conditions applicable to all these incentives.

//Petra// AF