Kingdom’s economy victim of external factors — Ississ

AMMAN — Jordan has maintained an economic growth rate of 2-2.5 per cent, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation and State Minister for Economic Affairs Mohamad Al-Ississ said on Sunday.

In a meeting with the Senate’s Financial and Economic Committee, Ississ stressed that the state of the economy and the corresponding challenges are outcomes of external factors, including a world economic crisis, the interrupted flow of Egyptian gas, the closure of borders with neighbouring countries and overpopulation stemming from the Syrian crisis, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Overcoming said challenges requires the simultaneous implementation of three concepts, which are economic growth, the creation of jobs and the mitigation of public debt, Ississ underscored.

The Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation has also made efforts to diagnose and rectify the status of the current economy, Ississ added.

During the meeting, Senator Umayya Toukan added that his Majesty King Abdullah’s leadership “clearly eliminates the state of uncertainty” for Jordanian and foreign investors.

The most important elements constituting an attractive investment environment are “credible” economic government rhetoric and stable policies, which would establish trust in the Kingdom’s economic management, Toukan said.

He reiterated that economic exemptions and privileges are out of sync with the idea of a productive nation.