PM reviews Kingdom’s COVID-19 response, looks ahead to next steps in JSF-hosted forum

AMMAN — The Jordan Strategy Forum (JSF) on Tuesday hosted Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Omar Razzaz in a teleconference meeting that brought together members of the forum representing various sectors to discuss the latest developments in the COVID-19 crisis and the reopening of the national economy.

Razzaz detailed the Kingdom's response to the pandemic, saying that the government’s performance during the crisis has been “more than good” and that the immediate action taken has spared the country additional infections and deaths, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

“Our performance in Jordan at all levels, under the directives of His Majesty King Abdullah, was more than good as we took quick decisions that enabled us to overcome the health consequences of the disease and directly move into the adaptation stage, preparing for recovery and resilience," Razzaz said.

“The question now is whether we are ready for the next stage of facing economic repercussions or not," he said, stressing that taking next steps will require “more consultation to take the required measures in cooperation with everyone”.

In this regard, the premier pointed to the JSF’s role as a communication platform with the private sector to develop studies on policies and procedures the government can adopt.

"It is also important to get in touch with the advisory council for economic policies, the Economic and Social Council and other research bodies to help build our decisions based on data and facts," he added.

As the Kingdom moves towards the recovery stage of the crisis, “everyone should understand the difficulty of the next stage”, Razzaz said.

“There is no turning back, so whenever we are able to cope and adapt, we are consequently able to move to the stage of recovery and the true resilience of the Jordanian economy," the premier added.