PM lauds efforts of donation committees in pandemic response

AMMAN — Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Omar Razzaz on Monday expressed appreciation for the efforts exerted by the Himmat Watan Fund and the two committees overseeing the Social Development and Health Ministries in organising donations presented by companies and individuals to assist the national effort in fighting the coronavirus.

During a meeting with members of the fund and the committees, Razzaz said that "these donations and contributions are not from the private sector and citizens to the government, but rather, from citizens to citizens", with the aim of helping those affected by the pandemic, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The prime minister noted that the JD107 million received by the fund and Al Khair and the Health Ministry accounts prove that people were “ready to help the homeland overcome this crisis”.

The establishment of the Himmat Watan Fund aimed at guaranteeing the highest levels of good governance, transparency and monitoring in collecting donations and making expenditures, he said, noting that these practices have encouraged companies and individuals to donate.

In this regard, Razzaz highlighted the importance of the fund’s continuation, especially as the social and economic aspects of the pandemic are “great” and the recovery period will be “long and difficult” when taking into consideration the self-employed and those returning from abroad. 

For his part, Abdulkarim Kabariti, head of the fund, expressed appreciation for the government's "distinguished" efforts in dealing with the pandemic and its repercussions.