JEDCO enables 27 industrial SMEs to export through virtual markets with GIZ funding

AMMAN — The Jordan Enterprise Development Corporation (JEDCO) on Thursday celebrated the closure of the "Supporting industrial SMEs to promote and sell online through virtual markets" project. 

The programme is managed by the "Trade for Employment (T4E)" project implemented by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ)  commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, to support 27 industrial SMEs with a fund of up to 200,000 euros, said a JEDCO statement.

JEDCO's CEO Abd Al Fattah Al Kayed said that the difficult challenges facing the Kingdom, especially during these global economic developments, highlight the urgent need to enhance the competitive capabilities of the local private sector.

“The government of Jordan is fully aware of the most important issues facing the industrial sector and we are looking for solutions to mitigate the financial and economic effects of COVID-19 pandemic and the decline in export activity. The government has been keen to provide a quick and flexible response according to the SMEs’ needs,” he said.

Kayed expressed his appreciation for the GIZ's support in the industrial sector’s development in Jordan.

He added that JEDCO provides non-traditional solutions to support the export capabilities of industrial SMEs, in addition to facilitating the registration of local SMEs' products in virtual markets, helping them expand their customer base and implement the electronic selling process locally and internationally to enhance Jordanian products.

The project aimed to raise the marketing capabilities of 30 industrial SMEs to export through virtual markets through financial and technical support.

Kordula Mehlhart, head of the Development Cooperation of the German Embassy in Jordan, expressed her appreciation for the cooperation between the governments, especially the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply in Jordan, the project's political partner.

She added that the support provided through the Trade for Employment (T4E) project to implement this initiative comes within the framework of the German government’s efforts to provide technical and financial support to counter the negative effects of the coronavirus pandemic in Jordan.

Stefan Erber, GIZ Employment Cluster Coordinator, said: “Through this cooperation, support was provided to 27 industrial companies to register through electronic platforms, to enable them to sell and export through these platforms”. 

“Experts in exports and electronic commerce were also hired to provide training and guidance to companies on issues related to sales and marketing through virtual markets and their requirements, which goes in line with the vision and objectives of the project,” Erber added.