Good beginning

Prime Minister Hani Mulki on Saturday showed that he takes seriously His Majesty King Abdullah’s directives to the government to make periodic field visits to various regions of the country in order to stay attuned to the needs of the people.

Accompanied by 12 Cabinet ministers, the premier paid an extensive field trip to the Balqa Governorate to monitor the progress made so far on several projects under implementation, at the cost of JD143 million.

The projects, which are many and of wide scope, are bound to create employment opportunities, train people in different vocations, attract investment, connect this old, historic city to the Jordan Valley, Dead Sea and Baptism site, implement tourism projects and improve the healthcare granted to citizens of the area.

They are mostly complementary and will help the city of Salt and its environs improve the economy, through industries and tourism, and highlight its unique cultural heritage.

It is important to create a network of all major cities, connecting them seamlessly to the capital and to the Jordan Valley, where several major hotels adorn the shores of the Dead Sea and attract tourism, and where agriculture, a major contributor to the national economy, is extensively practised.

The prime minister is giving a good example. Officials are expected to continue doing the same on their own, to have the initiative of conducting regular field visits and check on the situation of the population.

Jordan is not Amman only.

Jordanians who live in other parts of the country expect the central government to look after their interests and well-being, not sporadically, but all the time.

His Majesty’s directives had better be heeded; it is the right way to protect and promote the rights of all citizens, everywhere in the country.