Roundtable participants call for ‘realistic evaluation’ of economy

AMMAN — Prime Minister Omar Razzaz and Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh on Tuesday took part in a roundtable that tackled various issues pertaining to the national economy. 

During the session, Razzaz and Tarawneh highlighted the importance of cooperation between the private and public sectors in alignment with Royal Directives, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

They stressed the need for “realistic evaluation” of the economic situatiuon, noting the need to curb the outlook of pessimism and negativity towards the national economy.

The premier explained that restructuring the economy cannot be done in a short period of time and requires adequate planning to achieve this purpose, adding: “We are moving in the right direction.” 

The premier said that Jordan’s economy is not isolated from elements that influence its regional and international counterparts; nonetheless, the economy has still managed to achieve an approximated 2 per cent growth. 

Razzaz and Tarawneh commended the role played by the Lower House’s Economic Committee in ensuring the success of the roundtable, adding that it must come out with expectations in preparation for Jordan’s second economic forum scheduled for September. 

“Enhancing partnership with the private sector requires cooperation between the Lower House and the government to lay the necessary foundations for the benefit of public interest and to curb poverty and unemployment,” Tarawneh said. 

He said that the Lower House supports all efforts geared towards preparing the necessary economic and investment legislations to uplift local and foreign industrial and investment markets. 

Tarawneh underlined the need to review measures and decisions seeking to resolve the problems of various sectors and combat tax evasion.