‘Ministry supports projects by retired servicemen societies’

AMMAN — The Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation has supported 78 productive projects and the creation of 43 consumer markets for military retirees’ societies at a value of JD4.750 million, according to the minister. 

Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Imad Fakhoury made the remarks at the opening ceremony of a two-day training workshop organised by the ministry in cooperation with the Economic and Social Association of Retired Servicemen and Veterans (ESARSV).

The workshop is aimed at stimulating the role of retired servicemen’s associations in development, by helping them plan and carry out a number of development activities. 

It also aims at enhancing their role in stimulating local development by training and qualifying their members to plan and carry out sustainable productive projects, according to a ministry statement released Monday.

Fakhoury said the projects and markets created 455 job opportunities for retired servicemen. 

He said the ventures supported by the ministry included industrial, service, agriculture, commercial, IT, medical, vocational and tourism projects around the Kingdom, in addition to funding military training and national education projects for school students implemented by ESARSV, the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army and  the Education Ministry. 

Fakhoury reiterated that the ministry fully recognises the important role played by military retirees’ associations in raising the economic and social status of their members. 

He added that the government took the challenges of poverty, unemployment and declining growth rates due to regional conflicts into consideration when drawing up the 2016 budget.

Cooperatives, he pointed out, have been one of the important means the ministry supports to access local communities and make a positive development effect on them, as they are placed to lead development in their communities.

Fakhoury welcomed any proposals and projects to activate and enhance the work of cooperatives related to retired servicemen, the statement said.