Online session looks at pandemic impact on labourers in Jordan

AMMAN — The Arab Renaissance For Democracy And Development (ARDD) on Thursday held a virtual dialogue session that discussed the rapid impact assessment conducted by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Fafo Research Foundation on the impact of the pandemic on labourers in Jordan, in addition to shedding light on the responses of Jordanian authorities and the international community during the on going crisis.

The session, part of ARDD’s regional discussion series on social protection policies in the region, moderated by the Chair of the Senate Labour and Development Committee Sawsan Majali was streamed live on ARDD’s Facebook page.

Jordan INGO Forum representative Baptiste Hanquart said during the virtual discussion that it is crucial to develop collective engagement with the aim to assess the Kingdom’s overall capabilities.

The fundings will decrease and be limited there is no doubt in that, he added, noting that “no one should be left behind, because when people are starving they will not abide by the regulations”.

“The pandemic could not have come at a worst time,” economist and former Minister of State for Economic Affairs Yusuf Mansur expressed, adding that in the last ten years there has been “a deep and long recession” and the unemployment rate has been continuously increasing for the past four years.

Small- and medium-sized enterprises represent 99.6 per cent of companies in Jordan and currently they are facing economic hardships, particularly regarding financing.

ILO representative Maha Kattaa said that the structural mechanism for social protection is strong in Jordan, adding: “What we are proposing is to establish an Emergency Unemployment Fund (EUF) in order to include everyone, especially informal workers who are not usually covered.”

The EUF helps to channel all the funds from donors, the government and Social Security Corporation, she added.

Among the speakers were representatives of the Fafo Research Foundation Svein Stave and Tewodros Aragie Kebede.