Japan-Jordan ties of ‘great importance’ to Tokyo, ambassador says

AMMAN/ DEAD SEA — Japan is committed to enhancing sustainable social and economic development in Jordan through a number of projects across the Kingdom, said Japanese Ambassador to Jordan Shuichi Sakurai on Tuesday.

“Japan attaches great importance to the relationship with Jordan as being the lynchpin of stability in the Middle East amidst the difficult circumstances,” he said at an event marking the conclusion of a media tour on projects funded by the Japanese government.

He highlighted his country’s keenness on working in cooperation with local partners on a wide range of projects, starting from grass-roots partners to major institutions, adding that Japanese assistance to Jordan aims at mitigating the social impact of the influx of Syrian refugees into the country.

Under a project to address the refugee impact, the Japanese government provided a $10.2 million grant to buy equipment and machinery needed by local municipalities to improve water supply, wastewater management and solid waste management.

The grant provided 69 garbage compactors, 16 loaders, 9 water tankers and 9 vacuum trucks to several municipalities across all governorates and the Petra region.

Naour Mayor Ghaleb Sawair told journalists during a media tour that the single compactor that the municipality received had a “significant” impact on the solid waste management process in the area.

He noted that the current population of the municipality is around 90,000 individuals, including around 10,000 registered Syrian refugees. Sawair expected the number of non-registered refugees to be double that figure. 

The municipality currently collects around 50,000 tonnes of garbage daily, compared to the daily collection of some 30,000 tonnes before the influx of Syrian refugees.

Solar power project

A grant worth nearly $1.65 million was presented in 2012 to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities to install photovoltaic electricity generating systems at a capacity of 100 kilowatt hours at the Dead Sea Panorama Complex.

The grant is a bid to encourage Jordan’s efforts to improve its energy efficiency and utilise clean resources within efforts to address climate change, according to the Japanese embassy.

The Dead Sea Panorama Complex was established as part of a Japanese grant to the government in 1999 worth around JD48 million to finance seven tourism development projects. 

Around JD3.3 million of the grant was allocated to building the complex, and around JD10 million was allocated to the Dead Sea parkway project.

Ibrahim Sheyab, manager of the complex, told reporters that the facility, which includes a natural museum on the Dead Sea, a restaurant and a conference room, employs around 30 members of the local community.

He added that the solar-generated electricity covers the energy needs of the complex and its supporting facilities, reducing the power bill by over 35 per cent. 

Eco-friendly vehicles 

In January 2014, 16 ministries and government agencies received 110 hybrid eco-friendly vehicles through a $3.18 million non-project grant aid from the Japanese government.

The grant aimed to help Jordan in preventing pollution and reducing greenhouse gases by providing fuel-efficient, low-emission hybrid vehicles to the government through the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation.

Mahmoud Maher, financial and administrative manager at the ministry, said the three vehicles given to the ministry have “significantly” reduced fuel expenses — without giving specific figures — and have helped spread an environmentally-friendly culture. 

He cited the grant as one in harmony with the government’s efforts to cut down on expenses. 

The Japanese government has recently announced a new development policy loan to Jordan worth some $9 million. 

In addition, a grant agreement was signed in late October to provide around $9.6 million through an economic and social development programme, according to the Japanese embassy in Amman.