Razzaz lays cornerstone of major textile factory that promises 500 jobs in Tafileh

AMMAN — Prime Minister Omar Razzaz on Thursday laid the cornerstone of a major textile factory in Tafileh’s Al Hasa, which he promised would create 500 job opportunities for the local community in its first phase.

During a visit to the southern governorate, 180km southwest of Amman, the premier said that the new production branch of the Jerash Garments and Fashions Manufacturing Company (JGFMC), a Chinese investment in Jordan at a cost of JD1.125 million, is an on-the-ground translation of the "productive nation" principle, one of the pillars of the government’s announced priorities for the coming two years.

Razzaz added that the Chinese investor chose the Kingdom due to “confidence in its economy and people”, noting that JGFMC is the first and only Arab company to be listed on the US’ Nasdaq Stock Market, the second largest in the world, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Labour Minister Samir Murad said that the project “embodies cooperation and partnership between the public and private sectors, and confirms that national measures are being implemented to address the problem of unemployment through training and recruiting young Jordanians”.

The satellite factories — branches of major investments, Murad noted, are an initiative launched in 2008 with support from the Royal Court. 

He pointed out that the government is taking a "recruitment-instead-of-employment" approach to manage issues of poverty and unemployment, through which national policies have been developed to focus on enhancing vocational and technical training before the recruitment process.

JGFMC was established in the year 2000 and has three satellite factories in the Kingdom that employ 3,000 people, 800 of whom are Jordanian, while 50 jobs are reserved for persons with disabilities, according to Petra.

The company’s chairperson, Choi Lin Hung, highlighted that opening this plant in Al Hasa is a crucial step for the company.

During Thursday’s field visit, the prime minister also checked on a number of development and service projects in the governorate.

He also paid a visit to Al Hasa Secondary School for Boys, where he was briefed on its educational process and met some of its students and teachers.

The prime minister held a meeting with Tafileh Governor Hussam Tarawneh and top police officers, during which he was briefed on the preparedness of the authorities to deal with the prevailing harsh weather conditions in the Kingdom in general and in Tafileh in particular.

Razzaz also checked on the project of Tafileh Industrial Estate, stressing that the government would exert every effort to attract investments to the governorate.