A total of 70 clearance companies resumed work at the Nassib-Jaber border crossing with Syria, after completing training sessions, the Jordan Times reported Thursday (November 1st).
The Jordan Customs Department exempted clearance companies from licensing fees for 2016 and 2017, due to the work stoppage at the border crossing, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.
These exemptions should help lower companies’ costs and allow them to resume their activities as quickly as possible, said Deifallah Abu Aqouleh, president of the Association of Owners of Clearance and Transport Companies.
The Nassib-Jaber crossing between Jordan and Syria reopened on October 15th for passenger and cargo movement, after a three-year hiatus due to the security situation in southern Syria.
Since the reopening of the crossing, more than 1,000 Jordanians have crossed into Syria, a customs officer told The Jordan Times.
Clearance companies have dealt with 350 trucks so far, Abu Aqouleh said. Most of them were coming from Syria and Lebanon, and transiting through Jordan to Gulf countries and Iraq.
The trucks were laden with foodstuffs, fruits, vegetables and other commodities, he said, adding that he expected the cargo shipments to increase and bolster the national economy.
