Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Imad Fakhoury on Saturday urged Jordan's partners to continue supporting the Kingdom to help it narrow a gap in public finance through additional budget-directed grants.
The minister made the remarks while welcoming a delegation from the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, a global affairs think-tank, according to statement by the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation. The meeting discussed Middle East issues and the repercussions of regional crises on Jordan's economy. In this context, Fakhoury gave a briefing on the economic situation in Jordan and financial challenges arising from regional crises and how to address them.
He pointed out that current efforts are focused on financial and economic stability, increasing growth rates and employment. The minister noted the current economic challenges and the financial and humanitarian consequences that Jordan is facing due the regional situation, especially those of hosting the Syrian refugees and the pressure they caused on the national economy, the infrastructure, and the services sectors such education and health, which added great burdens on the general budget and the host communities.
He stressed the importance of the continuation of supporting Jordan by the international community. The Planning Minister said that Jordan has been subjected to several unprecedented external shocks since 2011 that have affected the Jordanian economy and cannot be easily borne.
He briefed the delegation on comprehensive national development plan represented by the government's Executive Development Programme 2018-2020, which includes the outcomes of the Plan to Stimulate the Economic Growth for the next five years and based on Jordan 2025 that aims to resuming the momentum of economic growth and benefiting from the available capabilities in the Kingdom, in addition to the outcomes of the sectorial national strategies such as human resources and the e-government.
The minister also briefed the officials on the major development and investments that are going to implemented in the Kingdom. He expressed appreciation for the US support, which contributed to implementing reform and development programmes and vital projects.
For their part, the delegation commended Jordan's pivotal role, the reform and comprehensive plans led by His Majesty King Abdullah, and the great humanitarian role in dealing with the refugees, which made Jordan a global and a regional model. The Chicago Council on Global Affairs is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization that provides insight – and influences the public discourse – on critical global issues. The Council is committed to bringing clarity and offering solutions to issues that transcend borders and transform how people, business, and governments engage the world, according to the statement.