King checks on progress in GAM projects

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday chaired a meeting to follow up on the plans and programmes of Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) in the investment, public transport, electronic services and the business environment sectors.

During the meeting, which was also attended by Prime Minister Hani Mulki at Al Husseiniya Palace, His Majesty stressed the importance of improving GAM's development programmes and plans to deliver the envisioned quality of services provided to citizens and investors for a better and sustainable future in Amman.

His Majesty underlined the importance of maintaining coordination between GAM and government agencies and deeper cooperation with the private sector and civil society institutions.

King Abdullah urged improvements to the public transportation sector due to its positive impact on strengthening economic growth. He pointed out that Amman should provide a model system for integrated transport services, to be implemented later across the Kingdom.

His Majesty highlighted that effective partnership with the private sector is the key to the success of development projects, stressing the importance of guiding investment activity in this direction, with priority given to east Amman neighbourhoods.

During the meeting, GAM Mayor Yousef Shawarbeh presented a briefing of the measures taken by the municipality to implement its investment plans, which included the establishment of a private company to serve as a specialised investment arm to GAM.

According to Shawarbeh, the planned company would be tasked to draw up an investment map for Amman, develop and manage investments in GAM’s assets and plans to simplify procedures, facilitate investment and development mechanisms and build partnerships with the private sector.

As for Amman’s public transportation sector, Shawarbeh pointed out that GAM  has established a private company specialised in this sector, in which 100 buses have been bought and will increase to 286 buses by 2020, to be operated through partnership with
the private sector. 

Shawarbeh said that GAM is making progress in the implementation of the Bus Rapid Transit’s (BRT) first phase, pointing out that 53 per cent of the Sahafa (press) Tunnel has been completed and is expected to be ready by May this year. In addition, he said that the entire infrastructure work for the BRT project will be completed in the first half of 2020.