GOJ AGREES TO ALTER TAX EXEMPTION CARDS TO ENHANCE

UNCLAS AMMAN 008047 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/EX, DS/IP/NEA, DS/DSS/ITA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ASEC JO PGOV PTER SUBJECT: GOJ AGREES TO ALTER TAX EXEMPTION CARDS TO ENHANCE SECURITY REF: AMMAN 7733 ¶1. SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PROTECT ACCORDINGLY ¶2. (SBU) Following Charge's recent meetings with Royal Court Minister Samir al-Rifai, PSD Commander Tasheen Shurdom, and Finance Minister Muhammad Abu Hammour, and a separate meeting with GID Chief Saad Khayr, the Jordanian government agreed readily to redress a security vulnerability associated with the use of GOJ tax exemption cards by Mission employees. REFTEL outlined a threat to an Embassy employee that grew out of the use of the current tax exemption card. Within weeks, the Finance Ministry informed us, a new version of the tax exemption card would be issued to members of vulnerable, Western embassies. The new card will have neither a photograph nor a reference to an embassy affiliation. The head of the tax department indicated the U.S. Embassy would be the first to be issued such cards. HALE