December 2010 Monthly Report - Eng - Frp2.org

Naseer Al-Khateeb
Mahna Al-Samadi
The above cadre of instructors represents a cross-section of ISTD functions. They are from Planning, Tax
Compliance, Debt Management, Human Resources, Audit, Taxpayer Service, etc. They are from the
Operational Directorates (LTO, MTO, STO); Headquarters and decentralized offices (MTO Industrial,
Services and STO). We also ensure that both men and women are well-represented in the instructor cadre.
FRP II Component A team members encourage ISTD personnel to develop instructor skills and will provide
the TOT course to those individuals supported by ISTD management. Once the ISTD employee completes
the course, he/she attends a technical course in their subject expertise taught by a FRP II STTA as a
participant. When the same technical course is delivered again the STTA is the lead lnstructor and the ISTD
employee becomes an instructor. When the technical course is presented a third time, the ISTD employee
becomes the instructor and the STTA may be a technical advisor to the course or not participate at all.
Activity 6: English language courses
There continues to be a high demand by ISTD employees for an English language training course. The
course currently underway began November 22 and ends January 8. It has twenty participants (17 male and
three female) and consists of ISTD employees who have been participants in ISTD/FRP II committees.
Activity 7: Property Tax Issue Paper Seminar
A one day session was conducted on December 2 with eight (five male and three female) representatives
from the MOF, DLS, GAM and MoMA. The agenda included a presentation by Deputy Chief of Party
Christina Erickson of a paper prepared by COP Dr. Mark Gallagher regarding international “best practices”
regarding property tax programs. In addition, Ms. Erickson led a discussion regarding the draft paper by the
participants on Tax Base. This is the first in a series of meetings to compile a property tax issue document.
There is a need for statistical training and it was agreed the training would be scheduled in January 2011. In
addition, property tax counterparts will be included in English language skills training to begin January 26,
2011 and to last for eight weeks.
Activity 8: December 2010 ISTD training summary
During the month of December, 2010, a total of 177 ISTD employees participated in the above events. This
would not have been accomplished without the support provided by His Excellency Mousa Al-Mawazreh
and the FRP II ISTD Project Committee members (Assistant Director General for Finance and
Administration, Ahmad Abu Algahanam; Assistant Director General for Planning, Development and
Taxpayer Services, Ahmad Issa; Executive Assistant Director General, Riyadh Shraideh; IT Director
Basheer AlZu’bi; Planning and Development Director, Hussein Surakhi; Tax Compliance and Operational
Management Director, Judah Shannak; Media and Communications Director, Mousa Tarawneh; and Human
Resources Director Uqlah Atteyyat).
Of note, the ISTD has agreed to schedule training sessions for full days during the work week with the
understanding and compromise that one of the training days would be a Saturday.
Activity 9: New ISTD training and conference halls
FRP II partnered with the ISTD’s Administrative Affairs Director, Dr. Wael Akashah and his staff, to create
an improved conference/training headquarters facility entitled the Al Hashemite Hall. Also, renovations on
four new training halls have been completed and will be completely furnished in January 2011. They are (1)
Petra Hall in headquarters; (2) Al Qadas Hall in the West Amman STO; (3) Al Hussein Hall in the Center
and East STO; and (4) Ahal Al Azam Hall in the North STO.
Activity 10: King Abdullah II Award for Excellence in Government Performance and Transparency
FRP II KAA Advisor, Khalil Al Dmour, met with the five heads of the KAA criteria from ISTD. They are;
(1) Leadership - Hussein Al-Surakhi; (2) People - Oglah Attiyat; (3) Processes - Joudeh Shanak; (4)
Knowledge - Rihab Mousa; and (5) Finance - Ezz Eddin Al Najjar. The purpose of the meetings was to
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