Jordan Response Plan to be launched Thursday — Planning Ministry

AMMAN — Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Imad Fakhoury on Tuesday called on the international community to provide sufficient financing to support the Jordan Response Plan 2018-2020, which will be launched by the government on Thursday, according to a ministry statement.

The plan aims to compensate Jordan for the burden it has borne stemming from the regional crises and securing sufficient grants and concessional financing to address the pressing needs of the general budget over the coming three years, the statement said.

During a meeting on Tuesday with Swedish Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy Heléne Fritzon, Fakhoury outlined the current economic challenges facing the Kingdom due to the regional situation, including the burdens of hosting large numbers of Syrian refugees and the Jordanian approach in dealing with these challenges. 

He said that the government is moving ahead with its comprehensive reform programme aimed at enhancing Jordan's resilience by preserving the stability of macro economy and finance indicators through development plans, such as the Executive Development Programme 2018-2022, which includes the outcomes of the Plan to Stimulate Economy Growth 2018-2022 based on Jordan Document 2025.

Fakhoury said that the government is also following up on the outcomes of the strategies of human resources development, employment, infrastructure (water, transport and energy), poverty , social protection, digital transformation, e-government, the capital expenditures programme, which will be implemented through the public-private sectors partnership, in addition to the outcomes of judiciary development.

The accumulating burdens of the Syrian crisis, which affected all aspects of life and exceeded the Kingdom's capabilities and limited resources have began risking the development gains Jordan has made over the past decades, security, and social cohesion, the minister explained.

The minister briefed Fritzon on the progress of the Jordan Compact, especially the implementation of the agreement to simplify the rules of origin for Jordanian export to the EU, stressing the importance of maximising benefits of the agreement in favour of the Jordanian industrialists and attracting investments.

For her part, the Swedish minister voiced appreciation for Jordan's efforts for hosting refugees under "these difficult circumstances" and its role under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah to achieve peace and stability in the region, in addition to fighting terrorism, extremism and enhancing religious dialogue.

She underscored the "strategic" Jordanian-Swedish relations, stressing her country's commitment to supporting the Kingdom overcome challenges.