$4.4 billion foreign aid committed to Jordan in 2022 — Planning Ministry

AMMAN — The total volume of foreign assistance, including grants and soft loans, committed to Jordan totalled some $ 4.4 billion in 2022, the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation revealed on Monday, citing a 2022 foreign aid summary report. 

According to a ministry statement, the report highlighted the sectors that benefited from foreign aid in 2022. Of the total quantity of aid, 41.2 per cent was allocated to support the general budget, while the remaining amount was directed towards priority programmes in the water, education, social protection, food security and agriculture sectors.

International donors acknowledge Jordan’s urgent developmental needs, as well as the challenges and burdens faced by various sectors. Donors also note importance of maintaining the level of services provided to citizens, especially in light of limited resources and the ongoing effects of hosting Syrian refugees, the ministry said.

The assistance includes grants worth $1.66 billion, including $1.12 billion in general budget support, and the remainder for national development projects.

Additional grants intended to support the Jordan Response Plan for the Syria Crisis (JRP) reached approximately $760 million, representing 33.4 per cent of the required financing for the plan.

Concessional loans amounted to approximately $2 billion, including $1.47 billion for general budget support, or sectoral support through the general budget. The remaining amount was allocated for implementing development projects through the concerned ministries.

Grants have also been provided to implement projects to develop the technical and institutional capacities of government institutions through the Supporting Implementation of EU-Jordan Partnership Priorities Programme.

The ministry also revealed that in 2022, agreements were reached on the final formats of scientific and cultural cooperation programmes, covering education, higher education, culture, arts, tourism, antiquities, social development, media, communication, sports and youth.

The aid comes in the form of agreements signed with donors and international financing institutions, and is then transferred in instalments during the concerned project’s implementation period according to the progress of work and the cash flow plan of the project. All aid is transferred in accordance with the financing agreement and under the supervision of the relevant ministries. 

Tenders for projects funded by foreign aid are subject to government control and auditing mechanisms, as well as those followed by donor agencies and international financing institutions.

The ministry has published details of projects funded by foreign aid for 2022 on its website www.mop.gov.jo, as well as its official social media accounts.