The Minister of Information & Communications Technology, Majd Shweikeh, said that the ministry does not have the authority to ban ride hailing applications like Uber and Careem.

During a meeting with the Integrity, Transparency and Fact-finding Committee, Shweikeh affirmed the ministry can only ban applications based on a judicial ruling on their legality.

On his part, MP Hassan Ajarmeh, said the government delay in licensing the apps forgoes the national treasury around JD 100,000 daily.

According to Ajarmeh, the two most prominent ride-hailing apps operate around 40,000 cars, generate about two million dinars and skim 25 percent of the revenue.

In light of the amount of money the apps generate MPs Mohammad Al Barayseh and Mustafa Yaghi called for their swift licensing and taxation.

Ride-hailing apps have been a controversial topic in Jordan, with yellow taxi drivers regularly protesting against them.

Earlier in December, Jordan’s cabinet endorsed a new regulation allowing the licensing of ride hailing applications like Uber and Careem under the condition of obtaining the necessary licenses and permits from the Land Transport Regulatory Commission and after submitting the registration certificate of the company to the Companies Control Department.