Amman, June 17 (Petra) - The Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Eng. Malek Al-Kabariti, has announced a forthcoming initiative to exempt hybrid vehicles from customs duties, as well as to permit their operation as taxis, aimed at enhancing transportation efficiencies, although specific details remain undisclosed.

During his address at the Jordanian-European conference and exhibition entitled "Energy Consumption Rationalization Priorities," held today in representation of the Prime Minister and organized by the Jordanian-European Business Association (JEBA) in collaboration with the European Union Embassy, Al-Kabariti expressed grave concerns regarding the energy situation in Jordan, describing it as "very poor and highly precarious," particularly in light of the ongoing financial losses experienced by the Electricity Company.

He further elaborated that without immediate and resolute action regarding these substantial losses, currently quantified at 1.2 billion dinars, projections indicate that they could escalate to approximately 7.5 billion dinars by 2017—an amount comparable to the Kingdom's current budget.

Al-Kabariti emphasized that this emerging threat poses significant risks to the national economy, the government, and the citizenry. He reiterated that the government has made a definitive decision to execute the program aimed at phasing out electricity subsidies, acknowledging the challenges involved, but underscoring the necessity of this step.