Restructuring the public sector is bound to increase efficiency or, in other words,
increase value against spending. In 2021 the government spent JD2.2 billion on
salaries and social security; that accounted for more than 18.6 percent of the
total expenditure of JD11.8 billion. The total capital expenditure was JD1.3
billion, 11 percent of less than the total spending.
اضافة اعلان
In light of the
government’s inability to create new jobs in the public sector and to address
the problem of unemployment, which reached 22.8 percent in the first quarter of
2022, it clearly needs to rearrange its priorities by redirecting spending
toward capital projects that attract investors and create new job
opportunities.
The process of reform needs time and requires amended legislation that enables merging government entities and allocating resources, and legalizes digital transactions.
This requires
immediate action; for example, limiting the recruitment process in the public
sector, with the exception of some specialties specific to certain areas. At
the same time, the government should work on reforming and reallocating
resources to government entities to cover for possible shortages, in parallel
with moving forward with the digital transformation of most of its services.
The process of
reform needs time and requires amended legislation that enables merging
government entities and allocating resources, and legalizes digital transactions.
Unfortunately, the
digital transformation journey in Jordan has been lagging for the last few
years. The government lost the opportunity to enforce wide usage of the SANAD
application during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to activate the digital ID, which
would have made the restructuring process easier.
As the government
is about to announce the outcome of the Public Sector Modernization Committee,
it should be underscored that restructuring is a complicated and challenging
strategic change that affects most public sector employees, directly or
indirectly, since they are the main actors who can lead to the success of the
process. Therefore, the government should make known its restructuring plan and
reassure employee that they are safe. Boosting government performance,
restructuring, and reducing the number of public agencies with the aim of
enhancing the level of services offered to citizens will bolster trust in the
competence and professionalism of the public sector.
Muath Almbaidheen is the CEO of the Performance Index Center for
Strategic Studies and Consultations.
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