Jordan, Germany sign 50-million-euro soft loan agreement to improve public school infrastructure

AMMAN — Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Zeina Toukan signed a soft loan agreement from the German government worth 50 million euros to finance the second phase of "Supporting the education sector in Jordan" programme.

The agreement was signed on behalf of the German Reconstruction Bank and German Development Bank (KfW) Country Director Jordan Mark Schwiete in the presence of German Chargé d'Affaires Florian Reindel, according to a ministry statement.

The funding aligns with the education priorities of the Executive Programme of the Economic Modernisation Vision 2023-2025, Toukan said, explaining that the agreement aims to expand existing public schools by providing them with educational resources and laboratories, in accordance with the Ministry of Education’s needs plan.

The Ministry of Education will implement the agreement in coordination and cooperation with the Ministry of Public Works and Housing, Toukan said, noting that the loan is part of the total 100 million euros of concessional financing that the German government has committed in support of Jordan's education sector. 

The agreement of the first phase of this programme was signed in 2021, also at a value of 50 million euros, which contributed to improving the Kingdom's educational environment, she added.

Toukan expressed the government's appreciation to the German government for its continuous support as a strategic partner to Jordan in its development and reform efforts. She also voiced the government’s gratitude for Berlin's assistance to Amman in face of economic challenges, including hosting Syrian refugees.

Reindel stressed that quality education comprises the foundation for Jordan's social and economic development, adding that 40,000 students will benefit from infrastructural improvements funded by the soft loan. 

Schwiete noted his country’s recognition of the magnitude of the challenges Jordan faces, particularly in the education sector. Germany supports Jordan's efforts to overcome these obstacles, he said, adding that this funding aims to complement existing efforts of the government in this regard.

The German government is one of the Kingdom's most important partners in development efforts, and is one of Jordan’s strongest supporters in providing assistance in response to the ramifications of the Syrian crisis, the statement added.