Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Zina Touqan, said that the role of His Majesty the King and his global tours contributed to improving the Kingdom’s economic image, which led to preserving donor partners and obtaining development aid and loans at balanced and close levels over the past years in light of the economic crises the world is going through.

During a dialogue session hosted by the Jordan News Agency (Petra), attended by the chiefs and editors-in-chief of the daily newspapers, Toukan confirmed that the review of the fifth mission of the International Monetary Fund coincided with the rating of the global credit rating agency “Moody’s”, as it raised Jordan’s long-term sovereign credit rating to stable positive. The change in Jordan’s future outlook is attributed to “positive” in light of the Jordanian government’s commitment to implementing a wide package of structural reforms, especially in terms of public finances, which gave Jordan’s credit position the flexibility and strength necessary to raise the rating.

She explained that this classification, after the success of the review, gives a clear indication and evidence to the donor community and partners in Jordan’s development process that the Kingdom is proceeding with realistic economic reform plans to implement the roadmap for modernizing the economic sector.

Toukan indicated that the vision of economic modernization will be possible in the executive role of capital and strategic projects, such as water desalination projects, the national carrier, public transportation, and the railway, and their importance as basic infrastructure to attract investment, in addition to projects that simulate the sustainability of the electricity and water sector, all of which aim to create opportunities. investment, and thus reduce unemployment levels.

Regarding the potential for investment in the next stage, which the government has placed in the top of its priorities in the coming period, Toukan explained that the government is working with all its arms to strengthen the role of the private sector in the targeted development by activating the Investment Environment Law, which will enter into force in January after the completion of its stages. Legislative.

Toukan indicated that the focus will be on the Kingdom’s ranking in many international indicators and raising Jordan’s classification in it, which will reflect positively on the investment environment and improve the citizens’ livelihood.

Regarding the public sector modernization map, she indicated that the main goal is to reach the desired economic modernization, which was accepted by donor countries and international financing agencies such as the US Agency for Development, the German government, the European Union, and the World Bank, noting that work is continuing with these agencies to translate the vision into reality. .

Regarding the national carrier project, Minister Toukan said that the percentage of financing for the project has reached $2.2 billion to date, distributed over $500 million in grants, and development loans worth $500 million, while the value of investment loans amounted to $1.2 billion.

She added that the pledges of the national carrier project have begun to be translated into reality, noting that 5 companies have been rehabilitated, and now they are in the stage of preparing technical and financial studies, as the submission of bids has been extended to next March.

Toukan indicated that Arab countries were invited to the meeting as donors, but there were no pledges or commitments in this regard, indicating that some qualified consortia include companies from Arab countries from the Arabian Gulf and Egypt.

And she indicated that the second donor conference for the national carrier project will be in March 2023.

She indicated that the international community’s retreat from supporting refugees directly affected the value of foreign aid provided to the Kingdom. As a result of the consequences of the political and economic crises the world is witnessing, indicating that the government will continue its humanitarian role in providing the necessary services to the Syrian refugees within the available capabilities, in addition to its commitment to its policy of hosting refugees until their voluntary return to their country.

Toukan mentioned that the percentage of funding for the requirements of the response plan to the Syrian crisis has so far reached 21 percent, or about $492 million, noting that Jordan is constantly calling on the international community to assume its responsibility and provide appropriate support and financing to the refugees.

She explained that, during the coming period, the focus will be on providing statistical data in each workshop specialized in each sector in light of the modernization pursued by the Department of Statistics, within the framework of the government’s transparency approach by disclosing all statistical data in a comprehensive manner. To facilitate policy makers to develop plans and future actions.

Regarding the results of the Expenditure and Household Survey, Toukan indicated that the results of the survey will be announced in the second quarter of next year 2023, noting that the field stages of this survey have been completed, and the survey is now in the process of analyzing the results.