(MENAFN - Jordan Times) His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday paid a surprise visit to Al Hussein popular market to check on the availability of goods and their prices on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan.
During the visit to the market, located in Al Hussein Refugee Camp in Amman, the King called for providing basic foodstuff at reasonable prices and of good quality to meet consumers' needs, a Royal Court statement said.
Touring the market, King Abdullah talked to citizens, vendors and shop owners, who briefed him on the market's conditions and its needs.
They emphasised the need for cleanliness as well as organisation to upgrade the market's services and facilitate shopping there.
The King instructed the concerned officials to develop popular markets and increase their competitiveness to provide the best services for citizens at their various residential areas, the statement said.
Popular makeshift markets are set up in the capital to provide a shopping alternative for people with low and limited incomes to help meet their needs at a reasonable price.
Besides the issues of cleanliness and organisation, consumers asserted the need for price monitoring, especially during the holy month of Ramadan, which usually witnesses higher demand on staples and various goods.
A customer told the Jordan News Agency, Petra, that the market makes it easier for people to do their shopping, but weak monitoring has reflected on the market's cleanliness and prices of the commodities sold there.
Al Hussein Refugee Camp, where the market is located, is one of four camps established in Jordan after 1948 to accommodate refugees who left Palestine as a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.
The camp was set up in 1952 for 8,000 refugees on an area of 0.42 square kilometres northwest of Amman.
Since then, refugees have replaced the original tents with more durable shelters and UNRWA provided roofing. The camp has since grown into an urban-like quarter and has become part of Amman, according to the UNRWA website.
Later on Sunday, His Majesty stressed the need for ministers and officials to conduct field visits to various areas to become acquainted with people's needs and improve the quality of services provided to them during Ramadan, the Royal Court said.
Chairing part of a Cabinet session later in the day, the King stressed the need to strengthen monitoring mechanisms on prices and ensure the availability of basic items at reasonable prices during the holy month.
He highlighted his visit to Al Hussein popular market, where he listened to people's remarks and concerns regarding the prices of some food items such as chicken and meat, calling on the government to focus on controlling prices.
The Monarch called for radical solutions to water cuts in various parts of the Kingdom and to take immediate measures to meet people's demands, the statement said.
The Monarch highlighted the challenges facing the water sector during summer, stressing the need to deal with mismanagement and calling on everyone to perform their duties to the fullest to serve the interest of the Kingdom and its people.
