AMMAN — The US
senate approved $1.650 billion in financial support for Jordan for 2022, the
Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation said in a press statement;
aid that will help the country overcome challenges like unemployment and
general budget deficit, according to economists.
اضافة اعلان
In the statement,
Minister Nasser Shraideh thanked the US government and senate for the funding,
which will support the Kingdom’s development and reform programs.
Shraideh said that
the aid was given in light of challenges the Kingdom’s economy has to face
because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Syrian refugee crisis.
Economist Wajdi
Makhamreh told
Jordan News that the financial support will boost the
economic development of the Kingdom, support women and youth enterprises and
help Jordan deal with economic challenges.
Priority should be
given to combating unemployment more efficiently, especially in the governorates,
Makhamreh said, adding that joblessness reached 24 percent, in general, and 50
percent among young people.
He called for
supporting strategic projects that enhance food and water security, such as the
National Water Desalination and Conveyance Project.
Economist Mohammad
Bashir said that the Jordanian economy is “suffering” as unemployment, the
general budget deficit, and imbalances in the balance of trade are increasing.
Bashir called for
directing the funds to capital spending and establishing projects that enhance
productivity.
For Zayan Zawaneh,
another economist, the aid package is a “decent amount of funds”, especially in
light of the shortage of resources.
Zawaneh said that
more planning is needed to invest the funds in job-generating projects that
would help mitigate the impact of economic challenges.
Some Arab
countries that used to financially support Jordan are currently dealing with
their own challenges, which caused their aid to Jordan to stop, said Zawaneh.
On Thursday,
Shraideh met with USAID Deputy Administrator Isobel Coleman and discussed the
US aid program for Jordan and future cooperation.
During the
meeting, Shraideh praised the US support for the Kingdom, and stressed the
Kingdom’s keenness on further cooperation, mentioning the memorandum of
understanding on aid to Jordan for 2023 and on, to be signed “soon”.
Shraideh presented
a briefing on preparations and measures taken to implement the National Water
Desalination and Conveyance Project, pointing out the Jordanian government’s
role in supporting the project to address water shortages and supply water to
people at better prices.
Shraideh also
briefed Coleman on the economic reforms that are part of the Economic Reform
Matrix 2018–2024 and reviewed the government’s economic reform program for
2021–2023, which will focus on stimulating the private sector to generate more
jobs for Jordanians, especially women and young people, and supporting the
sectors most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to improving the
national social security programs.
The meeting also
addressed the Syrian refugee crisis and how the international support to host
countries has decreased, although the crisis is still going on, putting
pressure on the national economy and the labor market, and consuming infrastructure,
resources and public services.
Shraideh urged the international community to share
part of the responsibility for the Syrian refugees.
According to the
USAID website, the agency is currently supporting dozens of projects in the
Kingdom in the fields of democracy, rights, governance, economy and energy
development, water resources and environment, education and youth, population
and family health, and women’s empowerment.
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