Al- Biss: "bureaucratic" obstacles hinder the progress of the chemical industries

Al - Anbat- Zeina - Al - Barbour

 Translated by - Neveen - Al - Jarrah 

The Jordanian industry is still moving at a declining pace on the line of development, which has limited its competitiveness among the global markets.

In the same context, the owner of the Industrial Caravans Company and the representative of the chemical and cosmetics industries in Jordan, Ahmad Al-Biss, complained to "Al-Anbat" about several obstacles, which he described as bureaucratic, hindering his work in the company, most notably the decline in the number of industrial companies from 210 to 145 companies within 4 years, in addition to the change in their level. From the industrial to the literal level, pointing out that the industrial companies now employ less than 10 workers, accompanied by a clear decline in their capabilities, attributing this to the bureaucracy in the various agencies that regulate the work of the industry.

And he continued that there are many instructions and regulations issued by the concerned authorities that stand in the way of those who want to obtain licenses or expand in a certain field, as a condition that the licensed factory be 3 kilometers away from the residential organization.

Al-Biss stressed that these instructions limit the factories’ ability to keep pace with development and make them unable to face global challenges, in addition to obtaining licenses or requirements for renewing licenses with complex conditions, pointing out that the cosmetics industry also faces great obstacles, most notably the decrease in export rates from 40 million to 17 million since 2019.

He also complained about the continuous rise in energy, fuel and export costs, pointing out that the port of Aqaba is one of the most expensive ports in the world in terms of expenses and what is called nationality.

He criticized the decision of the Food and Drug Institution after issuing instructions on the Jordanian standard for good manufacturing, which originally should be in the Standards and Metrology Institution, but it issued good manufacturing instructions and became the one to grant the certificate and inspect the products, indicating that this led to the obstruction of the work of many factories and their exit from the market and its inability to export.

Al-biss, Director of the Food and Drug Administration, called for the issuance of a decision to equate the Jordanian standard issued in 2010 ISO 22716 Good Manufacturing with the good manufacturing instructions issued by the institution, so that factories can achieve the requirements of good manufacturing and the conditions of importers, stressing that when there is equality between ISO and all foreign industries, the obstacles will disappear In front of the various industries and their level will improve.

He called on the government to amend the decision that compels factory owners who want to license their factories to be 3 kilometers away from any population gathering, stressing that if this decision is implemented, the industry will definitely deteriorate, in addition to the presence of a representative of the Jordan Chamber of Industry in the licensing committees, to defend the factories and clarify the people’s point of view. For solutions that preserve the environment and safety and achieve industrial interests.

Al-Biss talked about the role of the Jordan Chamber of Industry in providing a large number of services and programs that build strategies to develop the industrial sector and raise the level of its exports, such as organizing continuous local and international conferences and solving the problems of industrialists in cooperation with the supporting authorities and the Minister of Industry and Trade.

It is worth mentioning that Al-Qawafil Agro-Industrial Company is one of the leading Jordanian companies in the field of manufacturing compound fertilizers and chelated microelements. Since its establishment in 1990, it has been able to achieve a distinguished reputation in the local, Arab and international markets, and win many international awards in the field of quality and commercial excellence, and achieve specifications International Quality by obtaining the ISO 9001 certificate.