USAID to help fund development projects in governorates

AMMAN — Planning and International Cooperation Minister Imad Fakhoury on Monday said that his ministry is looking forward to the USAID, to fund part of the development in governorates through its programmes and projects, a ministry statement said. 

Fakhoury made his remarks during a meeting to follow up on the outcomes of the governorate development programme for the years 2016-2018 with Interior Minister Salameh Hammad, governors, US Ambassador to Jordan Alice G. Wells and USAID Mission Director in Amman Jim Barnhart.

During the meeting, Fakhoury said the funds needed to support the governorate's priorities and needs for 2016-2018 amount to JD2.188 billion, JD1.363 billion of which will be funded from budgets, ministries and independent government units, and thus the financial gap is estimated at around JD825 million.

Moreover, he said the Cabinet decided to allocate JD450 million for the years 2016-2018 to the governorates infrastructure project, and under the decision a set of top development priority projects will be implemented. 

A joint team from the Planning Ministry and USAID has conducted a tour to all governorates, during which they discussed the development priorities and the range of possible USAID contribution to funding part of the projects that are top priority for local communities, according to the statement.

Fakhoury highlighted the Interior Ministry's role, through governors, as a key partner in facilitating meetings with the public to determine the top needs of each governorate for the next three years, thus coming up with the list of development priorities that resulted from the participation of Senates, MPs, mayors, representatives from the private sector, Chamber of Commerce and Trade, and civil society institutions. 

For their part, USAID representatives gave a presentation on their executive plans to contribute in funding the projects, during which the mission director said that the priorities include supporting small- and medium-sized enterprises, creating job opportunities, training workers, supporting renewable energy projects and financing water, education, agriculture and tourism. 

During the upcoming weeks, the planning and interior ministries, in cooperation with different national funds, are going to conduct field visits on the level of governorates and administrative districts  to conduct workshops and raise awareness of the different funds and their programmes, in addition to the government's programmes aimed at supporting the citizens' productivity.