Gharaibeh talks entrepreneurship, digitalisation at media forum

AMMAN — Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship Minister Muthanna Gharaibeh at a media forum on Tuesday discussed the development of digital infrastructure, digital payment and entrepreneurship and the challenges facing the ministry.

The media forum was organised by the Centre for Defending the Freedom of Journalists at Zinc incubator at King Hussein Business Park, in cooperation with Zain Jordan, to grant journalists easy access to information through a direct discussion with decision-makers, to reduce rumours.

During the forum, Gharaibeh said that information and communication technology (ICT) is growing five times more than other sectors, adding that ICT is growing by 11 per cent while the economy is growing by 2 per cent. 

The minister said that "the excellent digital infrastructure" in Jordan has led private sector companies to compete in providing mobile, landline, DSL and fibre coverage, which is why communication costs in the Kingdom are relatively low.

Fibre optics cover an area of 6,000 sq.km distributed around the Kingdom, reaching schools, hospitals and governmental centres, he added.

Gharaibeh said that the ministry is currently designing a pre-feasibility study and is discussing the public-private partnerships process with a transaction advisor to obtain accurate figures.

Encouraging the use of digital payment, the minister said that paying through e-wallets will ease the lives of many people who normally must wait in long and crowded queues at places like the National Aid Fund or hospitals.

The government will replace cash payment in governmental institutions with digital payment next year to ease transaction processes and reduce corruption, he said.

Giving an example of the Kingdom's entrepreneurial potential, Gharaibeh noted that 27 Jordanian companies have been ranked among the most important 100 start-ups in the region 

To compete with the global market, entrepreneurship should be digitalised, Gharaibeh said, adding that part of the ministry's work is to ease procedures for entrepreneurs trying to enter the market, help them find funding, enhance their skills and attract global companies to Jordan.