Prime minister discusses cooperation with chief of Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development

AMMAN — Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh received on Wednesday Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development Bader Mohammad Al Saad at his office.

During the meeting, which was attended by Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Zeina Toukan, Khasawneh emphasised the importance of the fruitful and successful partnership between the Kingdom and the fund, which spans many decades.

The prime minister welcomed the enhancement and expansion of the frameworks of partnership with the fund according to national priorities and needs, a statement by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, said. 

 He pointed in this regard to the Economic Modernisation Vision stemming from the comprehensive modernisation project launched by His Majesty King Abdullah, which includes partnership in various fields such as energy, water, digital economy, and transport.

Khasawneh also noted the high level of confidence the Jordanian economy has gained globally, demonstrated by the upgrade of the Kingdom’s sovereign credit rating by international rating agencies and the fulfillment of the requirements of the Extended Fund Facility programme with the International Monetary Fund

In turn, Al Saad praised Jordan’s efforts within the comprehensive modernisation programme across its political, economic, and administrative tracks. 

He expressed the fund’s readiness to work with Jordan on new frameworks and projects based on national priorities, which would positively impact the economic reality and help address challenges.

Saad also commended Jordan’s efforts in dealing with regional issues and challenges, including hosting more than 1.3 million Syrian refugees, stressing the need to support the Kingdom to alleviate the pressure this places on essential services.

Also on Wednesday, President of the Jordan Chamber of Commerce Khalil Hajj Tawfiq met with Al Saad and the accompanying delegation.

During the meeting, Tawfiq said the chamber is ready to be a strategic partner to the fund, in alignment with its new approach aimed at cooperating with the private sector and financing priority sectors.

Tawfiq added that Jordan now has a clear national vision for economic modernisation, supported by the King and spanning across governments.

He added that the Jordanian private sector, particularly the commercial, service, and agricultural sectors represented by the chamber, is keen on cooperating with entities that contribute to driving economic growth in the Kingdom by attracting promising investments that generate job opportunities.

He pointed out that the commercial and service sectors across the Kingdom today include about 160,000 various establishments, 95 per cent of which are small and medium-sized enterprises, emphasising the need to prioritise the governorates when implementing projects and to take into account the available advantages in them.