AMMAN — Former Prime Minister
Ali Abul Ragheb called for a thorough study of the new city plan that clarifies
the rationale and means of implementing the project, which will incur large costs
to the Treasury, Ammon News reported.
اضافة اعلان
During a lecture hosted by the
Jordanian Society for Science and Culture on Saturday, Abul Ragheb said that
the problem of overcrowding in Amman and Zarqa is “not a sufficient reason” to
construct a new city, because there are simpler and less costly solutions.
No discussions on a project of this
size should take place unless the funding is available, he said.
The former prime minister expressed
concerns based on the experiences of other countries, making reference to a
“faltering”
city project in Giza, Egypt, built through public-private
partnerships.
Political parties and ParliamentRegarding the political system in
Jordan, Abul Ragheb pointed to “major developments and challenges” to come with
recent amendments to the Constitution and called for the establishment of
effective parties to achieve a
parliamentary government.
Government representation should be
granted to parties only gradually, to allow fair party competition, he added.
No discussions on a project of this size should take place unless the funding is available, he said.
Abul Ragheb also called for a
reconsideration of the division of constituencies in the Elections Law,
considering it unsuccessful and pointing to parties that enjoy a good level of
national participation.
Most political parties in the
Kingdom participate in the same programs, he said, questioning how parties can avoid
redundancy in implementing these programs.
Foreign affairs and economyOn the Kingdom’s foreign affairs, the
former prime minister spoke of the “strong” Royal effort to maintain balance in
international relations.
As for the economy, he said that
current global inflation is due to printing banknotes in the “trillions” to support economies and fund wars.
However,
Jordan’s Central Bank has
taken steps to maintain the stability and strength of the dinar, and the growth
and prosperity witnessed in Gulf countries has reflected to some extent on the
Jordanian economy.
Government transparencyThe former prime minister called on
successive governments to continue transparent communication that informs
citizens, and not merely state decisions that have been taken. For example, in
the course of administrative development, as the government proposes dissolving
or merging ministries, “no one knows the reasons for these decisions or their
desired outcomes”, he said.
He also called for the government to
prioritize transparency by appointing a general inspector for each ministry and
following up on issues raised by auditors.
Development focusJordan has economic, natural, and
industrial resources that must be taken advantage of, in addition to tourism
products, Abul Ragheb said.
Meanwhile, security “is very
important for Jordan”, and investors are always on the lookout for secure
investment environments, he noted.
“Citizens are suffering from hardships they can no longer bear”
The former prime minister called on
the government to enhance price control measures and its monitoring of markets,
because “
citizens are suffering from hardships they can no longer bear”.
The new Israeli governmentAbu Ragheb said that the new extreme
right-wing Israeli government is raising sensitive issues that constitute a “major
challenge” with potentially serious repercussions, especially if the occupation
continues spurning the Kingdom in order to achieve its political and religious
goals.
He stressed that if the situation
continues as it is in the Palestinian territories with the rise of the Israeli extreme
right, then “things will end in a religious war”.
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