AMMAN –
On Tuesday, the
Parliamentary Finance Committee discussed the budget of the
Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship along with its affiliated
departments, as part of their negotiations on the
General Budget Law for 2024,
reported Al-Mamlaka TV.
اضافة اعلان
The
meeting included committee chairman Nimr Al-Salihat, Minister of Digital
Economy Ahmed Al-Hanandeh, chairman of the Jordan Post Sami Dawud, chairman of
the
Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) Bassam Alsarhan, the
Ministry’s Secretary-General and the Director-General of the Jordan Post.
They
highlighted that the budget for the
Ministry of Economy is estimated at JD41.44
million, representing an increase of approximately JD5.2 million compared to
the re-estimated 2023 budget.
Al-Salihat
further explained that current expenditures amounted to around JD9.8 million,
reflecting an increase of about JD 1.7 million due to a natural increase in
salaries and filling vacancies. He emphasized the need for the committee to
address these vacancies, as well as fulfilling the ministry’s requirements,
which incurred a cost of JD673,000.
Regarding
capital expenditures, Salihat stated that they reached approximately JD 31.6
million, showing an increase of JD5.2 million. He underscored the importance of
the committee’s implementation of the ministry’s projects.
Al-Salihat
also highlighted the
Jordanian e-Government, which contributes to enhancing the
efficiency of the public sector. Despite the rise in the number of digital
government services from 628 to 1440 in 2024, the index increased by 0.4 every two years.
He
further clarified the impact of digital services on the public sector’s
performance, which received a total allocation of approximately JD89 million
for 2023 and 2024. Additionally, projects involving youth, technology, and
employment with the World Bank saw an increase from JD 3.5 million in 2023 to
JD 10 million in 2024.
Furthermore,
Al-Salihat raised questions regarding the decision to raise prepaid card prices
and its legality. He also inquired about the impact of JD1 million support for
the
electronic gaming industry.
Regarding
the TRC, the estimated budget for the commission is JD 9.9 million,
representing an increase of JD23,000 compared to the re-estimated 2023 budget.
Current expenditures amounted to approximately JD6.5 million, with an increase
of JD316,000, including JD234,000 for growth and filling vacancies.
Al-Salihat
sought clarification on the reasons behind the rise in the use of goods and
services, totaling around JD 62,000, as well as other expenses amounting to
JD20,000.
Capital
expenditures, according to Al-Salihat, reached approximately JD3.4 million,
showing a decrease of about JD300,000. This includes expenses related to the
new commission building and its equipment. He requested detailed information
about the projects and their significance for the commission. Additionally,
there was an allocation of JD500,000 for consumption and JD30,000 for
supporting initiatives, along with JD20,000 for furniture.
The
committee further inquired about all items in the ministry’s budget, including
support for the
electronic gaming industry, investment environment,
entrepreneurship in the telecommunications and information technology sector,
the impact of digital services on enhancing public sector performance,
telecommunications sector development, quality of services, 5G technology and
future services.
Hanandeh
highlighted that Jordan achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first
country after the Gulf states to introduce 5G services for both public and
private sectors. He emphasized that 5G networks have revolutionized digital
communications and the internet, with a financial impact of approximately JD362
million on the state treasury.
Hanandeh confirmed
that at the beginning of the upcoming year, 14 government service centers,
currently being established in several governorates, will be fully operational.
Al-Sarhan
stated that more than 60 percent of Jordanian households are connected to a
fiber-optic network. The upcoming phase is significantly different, and the
government has its own network, which incurred costs of around JD14 million.
He
emphasized that despite radical changes in its services, the authority has
reduced its budget this year, aiming to match global standards in
telecommunications services.
The
authority has worked on utilizing state resources and providing various
necessities and specialized services for the communications sector. Al-Sarhan
elaborated on several key areas that the authority focused on in its work,
highlighting its role in monitoring and regulating the sector.
On the
other hand, Al-Hanandah also added that the allocated support for the Jordan
Post reached approximately JD3.5 million.
Dawud
stated that over 50 percent of e-commerce transactions come to Jordan through
the postal service. He highlighted the ongoing efforts to keep the postal
service aligned with global advancements.
He also
mentioned that the postal debt amounted to about JD 26 million, which was
reduced last year by approximately JD1 million. He clarified that the
accumulation of debt was a result of the government discontinuing services for
the postal system in 2006.
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