Incentives vital for ICT sector to continue developing — int@j chief

DEAD SEA — The information technology sector in Jordan has achieved a 19 per cent growth during recent years, which reflects the vitality of the sector despite the challenges and obstacles it has faced, according to Amjad Swais, chairman of the Board of Directors of int@j.

Swais stressed the importance of the ICT sector’s development for the national economy, which should be developed by extending the exemptions, incentives and legislation that were put in place in 2016 and have already helped the sector grow over the past decade.

“The exemptions are going to expire in 2025, which is unfortunate as we need them for at least 10 years to come, in order to achieve sustainable growth,” he continued, pointing to the importance of working on removing obstacles and providing incentives to access global markets.

Swais noted that the Jordanian ICT sector should keep up with the fast-paced and rapid development of technology. 

“In order to stay up to date and to keep the required sustainable growth, we need the public and private sectors to work in an integrated and harmonious manner to overcome challenges,” he said.

Swais emphasised that maintaining the level of services in the ICT sector and future services is based on the development of infrastructure, in addition to upskilling and providing training skills for workers in the sector,  to seize the existing opportunities, whether regional, international or even internal.

“There is a gap between the skills available in Jordan and the skills required, and we need to be ready with the right skills in order to be able to compete, which is why we need to take care of the human capital in addition to an empowering and advanced technology infrastructure,” he added.

Swais praised the entrepreneurs and startups in Jordan, which created 5,000 job opportunities for Jordanians from 2013 to 2020, of which 37 per cent were for women, according to a study by int@j.

“The role of the entrepreneurship sector will be highly significant in the next 10 years, which will help achieve growth in the ICT sector,” Swais continued.

Swais also indicated that Jordan needs to “search for and open new markets to promote its products and services”.

His remarks were made during a panel discussion at the launch of the Economic Modernisation Vision on Monday. 

The ICT services sector is a part of the eight sectors under the “Future Services” pillar of the vision and includes 13 initiatives.

The main objective of the pillar is achieving excellence in service sectors with the aim of supporting national development and increasing service exports at the regional and global levels, according to a copy of the document of the vision.