Government keen on fostering public-private dialogue — Shamali

AMMAN — The government is committed to expanding the management consulting services industry's participation in enhancing the industrial production processes and facilitating access to global markets, said Yousef Shamali, Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply.

At a ceremony on Tuesday to inaugurate the secretariat for institutional dialogue between the public and private sectors for the consulting sector, Shamali emphasised the significance of financial, insurance and real estate services in boosting investments, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

He added that the government views its partnership with the private sector as a "cornerstone in its mission" to achieve economic and social development in accordance with the Royal vision.  

The ministry's consulting council was established to formulate economic policy and legislation, he said.

The secretariat is an important step towards institutionalising dialogue between the public and private sectors, he said, adding that the service sector — which includes the consulting sector— had contributed JD21 billion, or 66 per cent, to the national economy in 2021. 

Finance, insurance, real estate, business, and consulting services contributed approximately JD6 billion to the economy, he added.

The development of new products and the overlapping of industries, particularly in small- and medium-sized businesses, has been sparked by the local economy's opening up to global markets, he said. This is despite the lack of accurate figures on the consulting sector's contribution to the national economy, he added. 

Diana Hollmann, head of the Employment-oriented Promotion of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Project at the German International Cooperation Agency, emphasised that this dialogue promotes economic growth as well as social and political stability, highlighting the need to increase and build on efforts.

She also praised the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Dutch government, and the Jordan Chamber of Commerce for their efforts to foster dialogue between the public and private sectors.