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Ammon News - Prime Minister Dr. Bishr Khasawneh called on all concerned authorities to strictly ensure compliance with the implementation of national construction codes (NCC) on buildings and structures in all the Kingdom's regions and beef up monitoring over strict adherence to implementation according to engineering plans.

The PM said implementation of the national construction codes to the new buildings ensures their protection as well as their residents to a "large" extent from any risks due to any natural conditions, primarily earthquakes, or potential cracks, or moving soil that prevents construction operations.

The PM made the remarks at a meeting held at Prime Ministry on Sunday, attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Local Administration Tawfiq Krishan, Minister of Public Works and Housing Maher Abu Samen, Interior Minister Mazen Faraya, and Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) Mayor Yousef Shawarbeh.

As for the old buildings, the PM stressed the necessity of conducting an overall survey on their conditions in the Kingdom's various regions to determine areas and neighborhoods that have a risk degree, launch a plan to deal with any incidents and identify the required intervention from the concerned authorities.

In addition, the PM called on the ministries of Local Administration, Public Works and Housing, Interior and the GAM, in cooperation with National Centre for Security and Crisis Management (NCSCM) and law enforcement agencies, to ensure implementation of requirements set by Jordanian National Building Law in the Kingdom's various regions, stressing that "this issue will not be underestimated at all."

The PM referred to past large-scale surveys and studies that had been conducted within GAM boundaries for old buildings, especially those over 50 years old.

In this regard, he stressed the need to complete these survey studies in a scientific way to identify areas and neighborhoods, where buildings do not conform to the requirements contained in the Jordanian National Building Law.

The PM was briefed by the ministers and GAM Mayor about the measures currently being taken to ensure that buildings conform to the national building codes, in a bid to identify areas, in which buildings could pose a threat to public and residents' safety and take the necessary legal measures and violations against non-compliant entities.