Ajloun, Aug. 18 (Petra)

A ministerial team chaired by Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Imad Fakhoury on Thursday outlined progress in the developmental programme of Ajloun 2016.

Ajloun Governor Falah Sweilmyein, Ajloun Senators, consultative and executive councils members, mayors, Ajloun trade and industry cambers presidents, representatives of local commissions, woman, youths, private sector, and secretaries general of the concerned ministries and the local development director at the interior ministry, attended the meeting. Fakhoury briefed the local community and the official representatives on the governmental actions to implement the Ajloun development programe 2016, stressing that the total value of government expenditure on projects in governorate for 2016 has reached JD64 million. The minister highlighted the achievements of the government in its development programme noting that the planning ministry distributed the governorates' programmes to ministries and public institutions to be taken as a reference in time of preparing their budgets including Ajloun, where several governmental projects, worth JD54million, are expected to be implemented in 2016.

Fakhoury said that the ministry has, through enhancing economic and social productivity programme, implemented various mediations in implementing local community commissions and individuals' projects, including ongoing projects, and new projects that worth JD1,608 million.

He noted that the government has increased the financial allocations for the national credit corporations for 2016-2018 to help create jobs that would contribute to improving citizens' lives.

As for the infrastructure projects in 2016, Fkhoury noted that the ministry has, in cooperation with various governmental institutions including the General Budget Department, allocated JD6 million to finance developmental priorities in Ajloun, which was not listed on the ministries' budgets of 2016.

In field of the Syrian refugee's crisis, Fakchoury explained that the finance was directed in line with the Jordan Response Plan (JRP) to the most effected sectors, where JD5,7 million were allocated during 2015-2016 for education and health sectors, noting that government will continue its support by urging the international community to meet its responsibilities.

With regard to the huge shortage in the number of Jordanian workers in the agriculture, construction and service sectors, the government is going to work on enabling Jordanian labourers to replace guest workers to reach at least 25 per cent of the total workers in these sectors, the minister said.

The planning ministry has and coordinated with the donating institutions on the priorities in each governorate, in this instance, USAID, accompanied by the planning minister, has conducted field visits to governorates including Ajloun to discuss these priorities and study what can be financed.

Fakhoury asserted that the meeting comes in line with the Royal Designation Letter, which is a main pillar in the government work to implement His Majesty's directives to provide a safe, decent and sustainable life for Jordanians in Badia, rural areas, cities and camps.

The attendees watched a presentation by the Planning Ministry's Governorate Development Department Director Hatem Habahbeh on progress of the Ajloun development programme 2016.

During the meeting, the governmental team listened to the citizens' demands and notes. The minister said that the governmental team has met with civil society institutions and the governmental financing funds and briefed them on the government's programmes and windows which provide logistic support and finance with various conditions.

Fakhoury said that an investment map was presented in all governorates including Ajloun, feasibility studies are in progress for the most important investment opportunities which guarantee finding jobs for youths.

The Ministry's Local Development Programmes Director Mohammad Adayleh gave a presentation on the governmental financial windows and the facilitations related to them, the presentation also included the target groups, the funding limits, repayment period, and interest rate, in addition to funding standards of each financial institution.

© Jordan News Agency - Petra 2016