Planning minister discusses with Arab Fund director development priorities

AMMAN — Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Zeina Toukan on Tuesday discussed with Director General and Chairman of the Board of the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development Bader Saad several development priorities for the government within the executive programme of the Economic Modernisation Vision.

They also went over priorities of projects in the upcoming phase, particularly in the sectors of water, health, energy, transport and education, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Toukan stressed the importance of the constructive development cooperation between the two sides.

The visit aims to acquaint the government with the fund’s new strategy, which seeks to develop a strategic framework with member countries regarding their development needs and to identify future sectors and projects that can be funded within a programmatic framework based on the development plans and priorities of countries.

The fund had decided that Jordan would be the first country to work under the new strategy in a way that contributes to rallying support for implementing priority development projects and expanding access to financing for the private sector.

The fund is among the development partners of Jordanians, having financed 51 projects during the 1975-2023 period, particularly in the fields of health, education, social development, water, sanitation and productive programmes.

President of the Jordan Chamber of Industry, Fathi Jaghbir, on Tuesday met with Saad over means to enhance relations between the two sides and explore new investment aspects in a way that serves the Kingdom’s economy, mainly the industrial sector, Petra added.

Jaghbir stressed the importance of the fund and its role in supporting small and medium-sized enterprises in Arab countries.

He also noted that the industrial sector accounts for some 45 per cent of the GDP and employs around 25 per cent of the workforce in the Kingdom with over 268,000 workers.