January 21 - Dr. Saleh Al-Kharabsheh, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, and Wafa Bani Mustafa, Minister of Social Development, signed a memorandum of understanding today, Sunday, to cooperate in providing electricity to eligible segments of low-income individuals through the "Rural Dinar" program. This is in accordance with the benefit conditions issued by the Ministry of Development without imposing any financial obligations on the beneficiaries.

Minister Al-Kharabsheh stated in a press statement after the signing that the agreement is part of the strategic plans of both ministries to expand the coverage of citizens benefiting from electricity delivery under the "Rural Dinar" program. He highlighted the efforts of the Ministry of Social Development in its social protection strategy, where relevant ministries work to alleviate the burden on deserving families, aiming to reduce their numbers to the minimum.

Al-Kharabsheh praised the role of the Ministry of Development in prioritizing targeted groups, emphasizing that the measures taken by the Ministry of Energy are part of the government's initiatives to serve the targeted population. This includes meeting the increasing demand for electricity delivery to citizens residing within regulated boundaries through the three electricity distribution companies, as well as to homes located outside regulated boundaries and distant from power grids through solar power units as an independent system not connected to the electrical grid.

Al-Kharabsheh noted that the agreement aims to regulate and monitor transactions for citizens meeting the specified conditions, ensuring optimal performance in serving these segments, especially as the percentage of electricity beneficiaries has reached 99.9% nationwide.

Wafa Bani Mustafa emphasized the importance of cooperation between ministries in providing services to citizens, particularly for economically disadvantaged families in need of assistance. She explained that the collaboration with the Ministry of Energy aligns with the national strategy for social protection, extending beyond the Ministry of Social Development to include all government institutions.

She added that signing this agreement is in the best interest of needy families requiring an easy and simplified electricity delivery service, aligning with the ministry's central role in social protection and services provided to the targeted population.

Regarding the details of the agreement, Hisham Al-Momani, Director of the Electricity and Rural Electrification Department at the Ministry of Energy, explained that delivering electricity under the "Rural Dinar" program to homes within regulated boundaries through conventional power grids would cost a maximum of 3,000 Jordanian Dinars per beneficiary site, according to the terms and procedures approved by the Ministry of Energy.

Al-Momani added that the service provided by the Ministry of Energy is based on an official letter directed from the Ministry of Social Development to the Ministry of Energy, accompanied by a social case study and incentives for the service.

The conditions include ownership of the dwelling or a share in it, with supporting documents in the beneficiary's name, such as a valid registration deed, land plan, organizational site plan, valid construction permit, and a valid work permit.

According to Al-Momani, other conditions include the beneficiary not owning land valued at four times the construction cost, the construction cost for electricity delivery not exceeding 50,000 Jordanian Dinars, and the dwelling not being seasonal, functional, or a farm with  Consideration is given to less fortunate areas and pockets of poverty in this regard.

Al-Momani explained that the service conditions for homes within regulated boundaries using conventional power grids under the "Rural Dinar" account excluded cases with special circumstances that do not meet all the requirements and conditions for benefiting from the project. These cases include exceeding the allowed income limit (482 Dinars), with official documents proving ongoing deductions from the salary (bank deductions, housing loan deductions, sealed promissory notes for construction materials).

Exceptions also include the presence of individuals with special needs (disabilities) within the family or if the number of individuals exceeds 7, in which case the family income up to 750 Dinars will be considered. These exceptions will be studied by the Ministry of Social Development.

As for the conditions for delivering electricity under the "Rural Dinar" account to homes outside regulated boundaries through solar power units as an independent system not connected to the electrical grid, Al-Momani stated that it would cost a maximum of 4,000 Jordanian Dinars per beneficiary site, according to the terms and procedures approved by the Ministry of Energy.

He added that the agreement specifically outlines the conditions for providing the service in coordination with the Ministry of Social Development. The beneficiary should not own another house, should not encroach on state lands, and the financial cost of delivering electricity through the conventional power grid to the house should not be less than 10,000 Jordanian Dinars.

The agreement signed today facilitates the exchange of information electronically between the two ministries and beneficiaries, designates a liaison officer from each party to monitor electricity delivery transactions under the "Rural Dinar" account according to the benefit conditions, and encourages the exchange of newsletters and studies to support knowledge transfer.

Each eligible beneficiary, meeting the service conditions, can apply for the service through an official letter issued by the Ministry of Social Development addressed to the Ministry of Energy, including the mentioned incentives for each segment, within one month of submitting the application to the Ministry of Development.

Projects to deliver electricity mentioned in the memorandum of understanding will be implemented through competitive tendering for local specialized companies. This initiative aims to encourage investment and contribute to providing job opportunities for Jordanian citizens, with 102 beneficiaries benefiting from solar power installation projects not connected to the electrical grid since 2015, with a financial cost of 136,000 Jordanian Dinars.