AMMAN — The Agence Française de Développement (AFD) on Wednesday awarded a 300,000-euro grant to the government in support of environmental performance in Jordan.
The grant, which is within the framework of AFD’s ongoing Green Lending Programme, will be coordinated by the Environment Ministry, according to a Planning Ministry statement e-mailed to The Jordan Times.
Planning Minister Ibrahim Saif, French Ambassador to Jordan Caroline Dumas and Serge Perrin, acting director of AFD’s representative office in Jordan, signed the grant agreement.
This grant will complement AFD’s 40-million-euro (approximately $53 million) Green Credit Lines extended to Cairo Amman Bank and Capital Bank of Jordan by allowing for the implementation of technical assistance to the banks in the identification and appraisal of environmental performance projects, the statement said.
"It will scale up green investments in Jordan in the fields of pollution abatement and natural resource protection, in line with the Kingdom’s strategy in terms of sustainable environment."
France has supporting the Kingdom’s developmental efforts in several sectors, notably water and energy, according to the statement.
During the 2012-2013 period, the AFD provided Jordan with a 150-million-euro soft loan as direct support to the state budget linked to the development of policies benefiting the energy sector, in addition to the provision of financial assistance in grants for technical support in the water, energy and small and medium enterprise sectors, totalling 2.6 million euros.
In addition, the French treasury provided soft loans amounting to 82.8 million euros to support the Jordan Water Company (Miyahuna) and the Yarmouk Water Company, the statement said.
