Aqaba:Director General of the Jordan Food and Drug Administration (JFDA), Rana Obeidat, conducted an inspection tour at the JFDA's branch in Aqaba to assess workflow and operational progress.
According to Jordan News Agency, Obeidat highlighted the importance of accelerating transaction processing times during her meeting with branch staff, noting that turnaround time is a primary performance metric at border crossings. The visit is part of a larger field tour aimed at enhancing operational procedures and collaboration with key partners.
During her visit to the Aqaba Customs Center, Obeidat discussed ways to streamline customs declaration procedures and addressed operational challenges faced by customs brokers regarding JFDA services. She also met with Karimah Aldabet, the acting Chief Commissioner of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), emphasizing the strong partnership in food and drug control and laboratory testing between the two institutions.
Obeidat stressed the need for expedited processing of JFDA-regulated goods at border crossings and expressed the administration's commitment to enhancing cooperation with ASEZA. This includes renewing the memorandum of understanding to strengthen technical expertise exchange and joint work mechanisms.
Aldabet praised the JFDA's adherence to international regulatory practices, which supports national economic competitiveness and promotes public awareness of safe food and drug handling.
Obeidat also visited Bin Hayyan Laboratories with Director Muwaffaq Al-Khashman, inspecting testing equipment and services provided for both public and private sectors. She received a briefing on services covering food and environmental parameters, including water and air quality.
Additionally, Obeidat inaugurated the first training workshop for community pharmacists in Jordan's southern governorates to address antimicrobial resistance and rationalize antibiotic use. This workshop, organized by the JFDA with the World Health Organization (WHO) office in Jordan, follows similar initiatives in the Kingdom's central and northern regions.