In an unprecedented move, Jordan’s cabinet has set the legal stage for the sale of land along the Jordan Valley, an area that connects with Egypt and Israel, and the target of a long-term mega investment project, official sources told the Jordan Times on Sunday.
"The government charted an amended draft law to the Jordan Valley Development Law with a clause permitting the sale of land" along Jordan's share of the great rift divide, the source added.
Parliamentary sources told the daily, the draft law will be referred to parliament for debate and possible endorsement, but many expect that the draft law will face tough opposition from some members of the lower house of Parliament who worry that Isreali investors will have a chance to buy Jordanian land.
The cabinet decided last week to lease land lots with a total area of 300 dunums, The lots were allocated for tourist investment projects at an estimated cost of JD70 Million.or $1 Billion Each dunum was leased for JD1,600 or $2,300.
The Jordan Times added that by and large, the first and second phases are expected to attract investment investment in the region of JD300 Million or more than $4 Billion.
Last month, the JVA short-listed 18 potential bidders out of 60 parties, initially interested in setting up tourist projects along the Dead Sea shore, the Authority Secretary General Avedis Serpekia told the Jordan Times.
The investors, he added, were vying to win 10 projects on leased land from the JVA, with each of their capitals ranging from several hundred dinars to 30 million.
Towards the end of 1999, the JVA and the Water Ministry floated tenders for the lease of eight plots of land with a total area of 440 dunums along the eastern shore of the Dead Sea, under phase two development, reported the Times..
Envisaged projects in the plots, whose areas range from 10-69 dunums, include five-star hotels, bungalos, resorts for low-income Jordanians, tourist villages, docks, golf courses and spas.
Since 1998, the treasury has put JD18 million into infrastructure projects such as water and sewerage projects, roads and telecommunications in the Jordan Valley, according to Serpekian told the Jordan Times – (AFP)
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
