Cabinet approves guide on strategic planning ‘for all public departments’

AMMAN — The Cabinet on Wednesday approved a “consultative guide for strategic planning” for all ministries and public agencies, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The guide will be used as a reference for creating and updating ministerial plans and strategies.

Moreover, public agencies are required to coordinate with the Public Sector Development Ministry when preparing or improving a strategic plan. 

The manual is a result of the evaluations of the King Abdullah II Award for Excellence in Government Performance and Transparency, which showed the government’s weakness in strategic planning.

Also on Wednesday, the Council of Ministers decided to include cattle breeders in a programme of zero interest loans to support farmers, in cooperation with the Agricultural Credit Corporation.

The measure will support cattle farmers as they face the combined challenges of low prices for livestock, a 50 per cent drop in exports, and an increasing shortage of land for grazing.

The Cabinet also decided to include tanker trucks that carry water, waste oil and hazardous waste, and which are owned by the public or the private sector in the GPS tracking project. 

Monitoring the movements of vehicles will allow the Environment Ministry to ensure that waste is not disposed of arbitrarily outside of designated areas, Petra said.    

During the meeting, the Council of Ministers also approved the Arab customs agreement and instructed Jordan’s permanent representative at the Arab League to sign it.

The agreement aims to enhance cooperation among the customs departments of Arab countries, easing procedures, and exchanges of intelligence to combat violations and crimes.