Ministers discuss with donors, financial institutions public sector modernisation

AMMAN — Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Minister of State for Public Sector Modernisation Nasser Sharida and Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Zeina Tuqan convened on Wednesday with ambassadors and representatives from donor nations and financial institutions.

The primary agenda of the meeting, held at the Ministry of Planning, was to provide updates on the progress of the executive programme outlined in the public sector modernisation roadmap and to secure necessary funding for the programme, the Jordan News Agency reported.

During the session, Sharida delivered a comprehensive overview of the milestones achieved under the executive programme for the public sector modernisation roadmap spanning 2022-2025, organised into three key axes: Service development, institutional enhancement and legislative reform.

He also highlighted that the progress rate in modernising the public sector through the executive programme had reached 90 per cent completion of scheduled objectives for 2023.

Sharida elaborated on notable achievements within each axis: In service development, he revealed that 45 per cent of services had been digitised and automated, encompassing 1,077 government services, alongside the deployment of 5G services in four governorates, in addition to the operation of three government service centres.

Regarding institutional development, the minister emphasised the establishment of the Public Service and Administration Commission and the initiation of a programme aimed at fortifying institutional culture, slated for implementation across 50 ministries and government departments this year.

Addressing legislative initiatives, he referred to the array of legislation endorsed by the government to institutionalise operations across various axes, including the civil service system.

Sharida delineated the prominent features of the work priorities for 2024, consisting of 51 objectives spanning government services, procedural enhancements, digitisation, organisational structuring, governance, policy formulation, institutional culture, human resources and legislative endeavours.

Tuqan reiterated the Kingdom's steadfast commitment to administrative modernisation, aimed at augmenting citizen services and optimising governmental efficiency to realise a proficient public sector in alignment with the economic modernisation vision.

She expressed gratitude to donors and financial institutions for their support, urging continued backing towards Jordan's pursuit of administrative reform objectives.

In response, ambassadors, donors, and representatives from UN agencies and funding institutions commended Jordan's advancements in administrative reform and hailed the accomplishments in this domain.

They also pledged sustained support for the sector modernisation program's objectives for 2024 and 2025, aimed at fostering comprehensive and sustainable growth.