JEDCO, Business Development Centre sign deals on SMEs networking

AMMAN — The Jordan Enterprise Development Corporation (JEDCO) and the Business Development Centre (BDC) on Tuesday signed two memoranda of understanding (MoUs) aimed at facilitating networking of JEDCO’s beneficiaries.

Under the agreements, networking would be facilitated for JEDCO’s beneficiaries from small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with the programmes run by the BDC from the services of the National Self-Employment Programme “INHAD” and the development programme for “Professional Development and Employment in the Industrial Sector” funded by the French Development Agency (AFD), a JEDCO statement said.

The MoUs were signed by JEDCO CEO Bashar Al Zu’bi and BDC CEO Nayef Isteitieh in the presence of representatives from both institutions.

Zu’bi said that this partnership comes from the government’s belief in the importance of providing support to local SMEs operating within the service and industrial sector to highlight the quality of Jordanian services and products to motivate the Jordanian consumer to use them, which will work to raise the economic position of Jordan.

Zu’bi indicated that JEDCO, through the two MoUs with the BDC, will work to establish ways for effective, organised and responsible cooperation between them to support entrepreneurs and home-based businesses owners, in addition to SME enterprises operating in the local service and industrial sectors.

JEDCO in cooperation with the BDC will link some eligible beneficiaries with commercial banks to apply for loans on concessional terms, in addition to providing mentoring services and specialised training to achieve sustainable development and economic growth, he said.

Isteitieh said that the signing the MoUs will strengthen the partnership between the two institutions and make it effective by setting practical steps that will reflect on the performance of the commercial and industrial sectors and revitalise them.

According to the MoUs, JEDCO’s activities will be supported and promoted in all governorates, such as helding informative workshops and circulating JEDCO’s programmes and conditions on all BDC’s beneficiaries, in addition to its involvement in all the related activities of the BDC.