Gov’t spends JD58.3m on development projects in Madaba — Fakhoury

AMMAN — Government spending on development programmes in Madaba has reached JD58.3 million in 2016, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Imad Fakhoury said during a visit to the governorate on Tuesday.

Accompanied by a ministry team, Fakhoury briefed the local community and officials on the government’s measures to implement the Madaba development programme, the ministry said in a statement.

Through the ministry’s programme to enhance economic and social productivity, several projects are being implemented or planned by local community organisations and individuals, worth JD1.5 million.

The ministry has made JD500,000 available for loans to unemployed graduates in Madaba in cooperation with the Development and Employment Fund, Fakhoury said, adding that the government has increased the financial allocations for national credit corporations for 2016-2018 to help create job opportunities. 

In the field of infrastructure development in governorates, essential finance has been made available to municipalities to establish productive projects and improve incomes, he added.

As for the Syrian refugee crisis, the minister said that JD4.5 million was allocated to fund various sectors in Madaba including the education, health, energy, water and sewage sectors in 2015-2016 through the Jordan Response Plan.

The government will keep urging the international community to meet its responsibilities in this area, he noted.

The ministry will work on updating the development programmes of 2016-2018 by conducting field visits to identify the priority projects.

An investment map has been presented in all governorates, including Madaba, Fakhoury said, adding that feasibility studies were under way to identify the most important investment opportunities to create jobs for young people, in cooperation with the Jordan Investment Commission.

During the visit, an official from the Planning Ministry gave a presentation outlining progress in the governorate’s development programme and the most important projects in the health, tourism, infrastructure, industry and municipalities sectors, in addition to national projects.

The ministry’s local development programmes director, Mohammad Adaileh, delivered a briefing on government loans, outlining target groups, funding limits, repayment periods and interest rates, as well as the funding standards of each financial institution.