‘Gov’t to lead discussions on updating governorate development programmes’

AMMAN — The government on Wednesday will start discussing the draft for upgrading governorate development programmes for the years 2016-2018, through a specialised ministerial team, starting with Madaba Governorate, the Planning and International Cooperation Ministry said Tuesday.

The initial overall value for governorate development programmes is expected to stand at JD4.1 billion, a statement quoted Planning and International Cooperation Minister Imad Fakhoury as saying.

Fakhoury said the programmes are being drafted under Royal directives to prepare a work plan to develop governorates in cooperation with civil society, the private sector and stakeholders in each governorate.

During field visits to the governorates, the programmes will be discussed with local teams, the minister said, noting the plans will be discussed as well with MPs and senators of each governorate, civil society institutions, the private sector, municipal councils, and representatives from youth and women’s sectors.

Discussions will cover priority projects that can be implemented with consideration to fairly addressing the needs and priorities at the district and governorate level and with a focus on projects with a competitive quality, according to Fakhoury.

Fakhoury said the work will build on what was previously implemented under the 2013-2016 programme, taking into account the latest achievements in local development embodied in the draft decentralisation law.

Highlighting what has been achieved so far, the minister said that through the Gulf Cooperation Council’s grant, Kuwait provided JD45.861 million to finance projects in 2013, JD60 million in 2014, and JD53.3 million in 2015, according to the statement.

The money financed development projects in governorates to address health, education, water, transport, tourism and agricultural needs.