21 businesses join JEDCO programme for coaching SMEs in exports

AMMAN — On Wednesday, the Jordan Enterprise Development Corporation (JEDCO) signed agreements with 21 small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that joined the “Enhancing Industrial SMEs to Export II” programme launched by the corporation in early 2019, which aims to upgrade the administrative capacities of these SMEs at a total cost of JD1 million.

JEDCO CEO Bashar Al Zoubi and representatives of the enterprises signed the agreements, according to a JEDCO statement.

Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Tareq Hammouri, in a speech during the signing ceremony, noted that the programme is part of a series of programmes launched earlier this year in response to His Majesty King Abdullah's directives to the government to communicate and support economic sectors and projects that aim to increase exports, the statement said.

Hammouri pointed out that before the end of this year, three new programmes targetting 80 companies will be launched in order to increase their exports and create job opportunities.

The JEDCO programme is a “leading governmental project” to support industrial SMEs’ exports, focusing on high value-added products, the minister said, adding that it will support 21 SMEs operating within different industrial sub-sectors to access and export services to a number of new markets. 

“Enhancing Industrial SMEs for Export” targets SMEs working in the industrial sector in all the Kingdom’s governorates that have high export-readiness, the statement said.

Zoubi noted that the programme aims at increasing and diversifying the Jordanian industrial sector and will provide financial and technical support to the targetted SMEs for the purpose of upgrading their administrative capacities and capabilities to develop their products and facilitate their export to international markets, according to the statement.

According to preliminary data from the selected companies, the programme will contribute in creating 121 job opportunities and increase the value of exports by JD4.5 million, the statement said.

Zoubi pointed out that these companies target new export markets such as the US, Iraqi, Qatari, the UAE and Saudi markets, which contributes to enhancing confidence in the Jordanian product internally and externally.

JEDCO received 90 applications from SMEs hoping to benefit from the programme; 58 of them exceeded the administrative check and 21 companies operating in different industrial sectors were qualified, according to the statement.

JEDCO is the national umbrella for economic enterprise development in Jordan, inclusive of start-ups and entrepreneurial endeavours. It seeks to support the development of these enterprises and strengthen their competitiveness, in addition to facilitating access to financing. It also aims to promote and enable policies that create a more suitable environment for their growth, the statement concluded.