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Ammon News - The government on Monday gave the green light to establish municipalities in some regions of the Kingdom, to be initiated after the upcoming local and municipal elections in March, and before the end of this year.

In its weekly session, the cabinet set two basic criteria for the introduction of new municipalities: the creation of a municipality in any district or any sub district that is not a municipal center, while maintaining the existing municipalities and without abolishing any of them.

According to a Prime Ministry statement, the decision aims to enhance development and services in the areas in which municipalities will be created, and to reduce the burden on some existing municipalities that serve wide geographical areas.

Also during the session chaired by Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh, Minister of Water and Irrigation Muhammad Najjar gave an update on the National Water Carrier Project which is hoped to provide the capital and other regions of the Kingdom with 300 million cubic meters of desalinated seawater annually.

The mega project envisages the construction of an Aqaba-Amman pipeline as well as intake and desalination plants in the Red Sea port of Aqaba. According to Najjar, the draft project documents were sent to prequalified bidders about two weeks ago.

He indicated that the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation will host a meeting with donors later this month to secure funding for the project.