JEDCO study on impact of support programme for 23 SMEs shows growth in exports

AMMAN — The indicators of an impact study for 23 industrial small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) granted JD1.1 million in the first phase of the programme “Enhancing Industrial SMEs for Export”, implemented by the Jordan Enterprise Development Corporation (JEDCO), recently showed a JD8.8 million growth in exports.

An impact of JD8.2 as a return on the growth of the national exports was recorded for each Jordanian dinar as a contribution from JEDCO, according to the audited financial statements of the beneficiary SMEs, JEDCO said in a statement on Tuesday.

JEDCO’s CEO Bashar Al Zoubi said that the study aimed at helping JEDCO to evaluate the work of the programmes it is launching and to study their impact on beneficiaries. 

It also allows the corporation to identify the challenges that may face beneficiaries and to work accordingly to overcome these challenges and enable beneficiaries in the future, Zoubi said in the statement.

According to Zoubi, the results of the study are “positive” and indicate that JEDCO’s support through the programme contributed to achieving growth rates in beneficiary SMEs, particularly in sales and exports and exceeding the standard growth rates according to international standards.

The main indicators of the study showed high rates, the statement said, notably an increase in job creation by 9 per cent and an increase in total export rates by 31 per cent. 

Most SMEs were also able to access new markets as part of JEDCO’s efforts to increase national exports, according to the statement.

The study indicated that JEDCO’s support improved the total actual sales of the SMEs.

Zoubi added that JEDCO will develop an implementation plan in order to continue achieving results on the ground and developing the internal work process.

The programme was launched in the first half of 2019 to support 23 industrial SMEs to export in order to develop their products, facilitate their exports to international markets, increase their contribution to local economic development and reduce unemployment, the statement said. 

JEDCO’s support involved providing financial grants and technical assistance to build administrative and production capabilities to facilitate the task of exporting with a maximum of JD50,000 as a grant for each company, of which 40 per cent was for administrative capacity and 60 per cent for raising production capacities.