AMMAN — The Cabinet, during a session chaired by Prime Minister Jafar Hassan on Sunday, approved the payment of JD125 million in arrears to various entities, bringing the total payments made in recent weeks to approximately JD275 million.

The move is part of the government’s plan to settle accumulated obligations that have been pending for years, according to a Prime Ministry statement.

The Cabinet’s decision includes the settlement of arrears accumulated over five years by ministries and official government institutions to electricity distribution companies, totalling around JD60 million. Additionally, arrears owed by Yarmouk Water Company (JD10 million) and the Water Authority (JD25 million) for electricity distribution were approved, with the authority committing to pay future bills in monthly instalments.

The Cabinet also approved the settlement of JD30 million in arrears owed to printing houses responsible for textbooks and curricula for the Ministry of Education.

The Cabinet has also recently approved payments exceeding JD100 million to public universities and previously settled JD40 million to King Abdullah University Hospital and JD10 million to Jordan University Hospital.

As part of its efforts to improve citizen services, the Cabinet also approved the draft amended Property Ownership Law for 2026, to be sent to the House of Representatives for parliamentary procedures.

The law aims to simplify and accelerate co-ownership removal procedures, helping resolve longstanding property disputes and integrating unused properties into the economic cycle.

It includes provisions for electronic sales, electronic signatures, and full digitisation of transactions, including allocation, sale, and registration, in line with Notary Public Law. The amendments also reduce financial and procedural burdens linked to paper-based procedures, the statement said.

The law allows sales and allocation of the plan before property construction, with a certificate of allocation issued for bank approval to encourage investment and real estate development. It also replaces the requirement for unanimous consent of co-owners with approval from three-quarters of property owners, without affecting other partners’ rights.

The Cabinet also mandated that the government, municipalities, and Greater Amman Municipality pay expropriation compensation within five years, including late payment fees, while aligning co-ownership removal provisions with laws governing agricultural units and the Jordan Valley Development Law.

The amendments delegate authority to regional directors to reduce centralisation, enhance legislative stability, and boost confidence in the real estate sector, supporting the Economic Modernisation Vision, the statement said.

The Cabinet also approved the justifications for the draft amended Civil Status Law for 2026, in preparation for submission to the Legislation and Opinion Bureau.

The amendment introduces a digital identity as an official identification method alongside personal ID cards, granting it legal validity in evidence and requiring government and private entities to recognise it. The law aims to enable citizens to conduct electronic transactions securely, protecting personal data while integrating traditional and digital identification methods and aligning with international best practices.

The Cabinet approved the 2026 administrative organisation bylaw for the Ministry of Labour to enhance the performance of its administrative units and ensure effective fulfilment of their responsibilities.

The Cabinet also decided to refer all matters related to the gas pipeline project linking the Risha field to the Arab Gas Pipeline to the National Petroleum Company, including all related studies.

The company will implement the project in partnership with local firms while opening opportunities for investment participation, aligning field development and production increase with infrastructure improvements to maximise national gains.

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