Dutch assistance, expertise help Jordanian businesses grow, officials and business leaders say

AMMAN — Dutch economic assistance to Jordan through funds and technical support has helped several businesses evolve and enhance their performances, according to experts.

Speaking at a panel on Sunday held by the Jordan European Business Association (JEBA), Basem Naouri, the commercial attaché at the Dutch embassy, said the Netherlands has been providing technical support to the Jordanian government.

In addition, the Dutch government provided $3 million to GroFin-Jordan, a finance company for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups.  

As part of the technical assistance, the PUM Netherlands senior experts organisation has been operating in Jordan for some 15 years. 

PUM is a non-profit organisation which deploys volunteer business experts to share their experiences with companies around the world. 

JEBA President Jamal Fariz cited a “great” potential for enhancing economic relations and sharing knowledge between the two countries.

Speaking at the event, which was held at the Amman Chamber of Commerce (ACC), Fariz said the Dutch government actively encourages Dutch firms to support Jordan through a number of initiatives that provide technical assistance and consultancy expertise in various sectors. 

Since 2001, JEBA has facilitated around 250 PUM exchange programmes, through which thousands of Dutch experts have provided remarkable assistance to Jordanian companies and factories, he noted. 

“There are plenty of success stories in which companies have improved their productivity, quality and competitiveness through PUM.”

Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply Secretary General Yousef Shamali said SMEs in Jordan, which comprise over 98 per cent of local businesses, are in need of Dutch expertise to enhance their competitiveness and sustainability. 

He added that the ministry will soon host a Dutch expert to advise local producers on utilising the eased rules of origin when exporting to Europe. 

The EU has recently simplified the rules for the import of made-in-Jordan products.

ACC President Issa Murad said local efforts to benefit from eased access to the European market must be boosted, particularly in light of the closure of other export markets in the region due to conflicts. 

Corine de Jongh, project consultant at the Netherlands Enterprise Agency, said the agency, which is part of the Dutch ministry of economic affairs, works to help entrepreneurs at home and abroad.

The agency’s programmes are distributed among four categories: providing information and advice, building corporate private-public partnerships, offering funding possibilities and carrying out business climate interventions.  

Coen van Haeringen, PUM country coordinator, said Dutch experts in various fields were hosted by Jordanian enterprises, in the fields of agriculture, construction, trade, government services, healthcare, textiles, tourism and vocational training, among others.

GroFin-Jordan General Manager Alfinaz Murad said the Nomou fund, which is managed by GroFin-Jordan, has successfully funded many SMEs over the past few years, to provide seed funding for “non-bankable” emerging businesses.

She noted that two of the businesses that received Nomou funding are preparing to export their products to Europe through the eased rules of origin agreement, noting that one of them is in the chemical industry field, while the other produces medicine and cosmetics.  

Naouri noted that the Netherlands will host a business conference on November 4, where Dutch enterprises from all sizes will be invited to explore investment opportunities in Jordan and Lebanon.

Moreover, a Dutch business delegation will visit Jordan early next year to examine investment opportunities, the embassy official said.