Jordan: Foodstuffs sector calls for measures allowing restaurants to operate round-the-clock

Published 28 Jun,2020 via The Jordan Times AMMAN — Foodstuffs sector representative at the Jordan Chamber of Commerce Raed Hamadah on Sunday called for extending the working hours of restaurants and shops to 24 hours a day, with the aim of stimulating commercial and local tourism movement and protecting the sector.

Hamadah also called for exempting food items from various customs fees and taxes, especially those imposed on imported items from countries that do not have trade agreements with the Kingdom, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

He also highlighted the importance of having a “clear, strategic plan” to deal with the economy in case of a second wave of COVID-19 in a way that guarantees the work sustainability of all sectors, notably commerce and services, to avoid bankruptcy.

Market movement has “thrived” following the reopening of sectors, the representative said. However, he noted, the market “is not witnessing the levels achieved during the same period last year”.

In this regard, Hamadah called for pumping more liquidity into the market and facilitating lending terms to support the resilience of commercial and service institutions.

He also stressed that the Kingdom’s strategic reserves of foodstuffs are sufficient to meet public needs, while offers at malls result in high competitiveness that serves citizens’ interests.

The foodstuffs sector constitutes some 30 per cent of commercial business in Jordan, with over 50,000 small and large facilities nationwide employing around 250,000 workers.

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