Housing, engineering sector officials protest Amman building code

(MENAFN- Jordan Times) AMMAN — The preparatory committee of the engineering offices movement on Saturday organised a sit-in at the Greater Amman Municipality square, protesting the new Amman building code.

Participants, including owners of engineering offices, housing companies, contractors and merchants, called for halting the new code until it is amended in the interest of the public and to develop the construction sector, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Muhammad Sukkar, a member of the committee, said that the new code reduces the licensed area for building by 30 per cent during January, when compared with the same period of 2018.

He also noted that the code has also affected local and foreign investments.

Hassan Khisheh, owner of a housing company, said many investments and projects have been shot down completely.

More than 11 construction-related institutions called for amending the code.

They urged the authorities to consider their recommendations to reduce apartment costs and boost demand locally, so that more citizens would be able to afford buying apartments, given the skyrocketing land prices.

Khisheh noted that the code imposes fines that negatively affect citizens and investors alike, adding that some specifics in the code vary from one area to another.

Jamal Abdul Mawla, representative of the construction and building sector at the Jordan Chamber of Commerce, confirmed the decline in sector operations.

He underlined that there has been a 39 per cent drop in the issuance of construction licences, reflecting negatively on some 40 other sectors.

Abdul Mawla added that improving the constructions sector could help develop many industrial and commercial sectors, calling to speed up the amendment of the code.

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