‘Gov’t to allocate JD323.664m for Irbid development projects’

AMMAN — Public expenditure on the Irbid Governorate development programme between 2016 and 2018 is expected to stand at around JD323.664 million, Planning and International Cooperation Minister Imad Fakhoury said Tuesday.

At a meeting with representatives of various sectors in the governorate, some 80km north of Amman, Fakhoury said the estimated cost of development projects for 2016 is JD89.243 million, while it stands at JD114.422 million for 2017, and JD120 million for 2018, according to a ministry statement.

Stressing that the development programme should take the challenges facing the governorate into consideration, the minister said these problems include having two poverty pockets in the governorate — Southern Shuneh and Ramtha — in addition to having a high rate of unemployment which stands at 13.2 per cent in Irbid compared with 11.9 per cent nationwide.

Irbid, which has a population of around 1.188 million according to the Department of Statistics’ 2014 estimates, also has a poverty rate of 15 per cent, compared with 14.4 nationwide. 

As a northern governorate affected by the Syrian refugee influx, Fakhoury said around $33.739 million in funds has been approved in the Jordan Response Plan for projects in Irbid, adding the ministry is still contacting the international community to urge donors to contribute further to alleviate the refugee burden.

The minister said the selection of development projects ready for implementation will be based on the priority list created as part of the 2016-2018 Irbid Governorate development programme after a previous visit from the Planning and International Cooperation Ministry team.

To benefit from investment opportunities in Irbid, according to the investment map for the northern governorates, he said the government will cooperate with funds and microfinance institutions to direct their funding towards these potential investments.

The ministry will also work with the Jordan Investment Commission to promote these opportunities and attract investors, Fakhoury said, highlighting plans to raise young people’s awareness of microfinance institutions and means to obtain funding from them.

The Irbid meeting — which brought together a local team representing various sectors of the governorate, including its municipal councils, civil society institutions, the private sector, and women and youth movements — was part of a series of planned gatherings to discuss the draft for upgrading governorate development programmes for the years 2016-2018.

Speaking at the gathering, Irbid Governor Saad Shihab said residents of Irbid are optimistic that this development programme will meet their needs and address urgent requirements in various sectors, which have been recorded and listed after meetings with the local community.

Shihab voiced hope that the programme will provide strategic plans to secure residents’ water needs, address traffic congestion in Irbid city and overhaul public transport services in the governorate.