Gov’t ‘serious’ about expanding support to JEDCO exports — Hammouri

AMMAN — The industrial sector has witnessed an increase of 112 production lines since the COVID-19 crisis began, including for foodstuffs and medical supplies, Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Tareq Hammouri told The Jordan Times on Sunday.

According to Hammouri, investors from various countries have shown “a lot of interest” in establishing industrial projects in the Kingdom, which he said “has proven its high capacity to meet the demands of the local market”.

The government is “serious” about transferring support towards exports from the Jordan Investment Commission (JIC) to the Jordan Enterprise Development Corporation (JEDCO) with the aim of unifying the references responsible for the export process, the minister said. 

The Department of Statistics’ monthly report, published in May, has shown that national exports in the first quarter of 2020 reached around JD1.2 million, 7.5 per cent higher than the same period in 2019. 

The department’s data have also revealed that total exports during the first quarter of this year reached around JD1.4 million, 2.3 per cent higher than last year’s exports during the same period.

Hammouri said that the government’s programmes launched through JEDCO to support exports “have greatly impacted exports and stimulated local industry”, referring to the JIC’s designation of JD1.25 million for the exports promotion programme through exhibitions and marketing.

The “Bayt Al Tasdir” (“Home of Exportation”) company, which the government established in cooperation with the private sector, is set to work with JEDCO in implementing programmes that aim at opening new markets for local exports, he said. 

He noted that the Industry Ministry, representing the government, registered the company in cooperation with the private sector last year with a capital of JD899,000.