Gov’t agencies execute 14 out of 18 tasks pledged for March

AMMAN — The government’s economic team, in charge of implementing the Economic Growth Plan (EGP), has implemented 14 out of 18 tasks pledged to be accomplished during March 2018, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Saturday.

In the field of Labour, some 550 people were trained on entrepreneurship and life skills as part of a project to increase turnout on vocational training (VT) during 2018, Petra reported.

The second task in the same field was supporting the industrial sector to operate five workshops/ institutes for VT in Amman as part of the public-private sectors partnership (PPP). The tourism sector started operating three VT institutes in Madaba and Zarqa.

The fourth task was supporting textile sector to administer VT institute in Ramtha. 

As per the fifth task in the labour sector, a total of 5,000 young men and women will be recruited under agreements between the Vocational Training Corporation, the private sector and the civil society organisations by setting up productivity enterprises in poverty pockets with a focus on woman.

In agriculture, a Royal Decree was issued approving a by-law to restructure the Agriculture Ministry and the National Centre for Agricultural Research and Extension, which will improve services provided to farmers, in addition to establishing a directorate for rural development and woman empowerment to encourage family businesses as well as establishing an investment directorate.

In the field of competitiveness, the team accomplished the final draft of the bankruptcy and insolvency law.

For the energy sector, the final report on Madouna land port/the logistic centre has been accredited. The port project will be a venue for transport and clearance companies as well as cargo handlers, Petra reported.

In tourism, a team was formed for the restoration and maintenance of Um Al Jimal archaeological site in Mafraq, some 80km northeast of Amman, including the Umayyad House, which will be used as a visitors centre and venue for showcasing products of the local community.

Also in tourism, a similar team was formed for Iraq Al Amir site, where it will conduct restoration works, install a security system to protect the site, and develop a trail for visitors that passes by all monuments and facilities of the tourist attraction. 

As for the energy sector, the agreements to be signed with distributing companies to replace light bulbs with new energy-saving ones have been drafted.

Memoranda of understanding with qualified companies to implement the energy-storing project through batteries to strengthen the national electricity grid have been inked.

In education and human resources development, a draft bylaw related to foreign students in Jordanian universities has been referred to the Cabinet for review and endorsement, according to Petra.

The second educational task was preparing a draft by-law regulating the selection public university presidents which aims at enhancing the concept of governance and providing higher education institutions with qualified leadership.