Amman: The Ministry of Labor, in collaboration with the private sector, has been implementing the Productive Branches Initiative since 2008. This initiative aims to provide job opportunities and combat unemployment in Jordan’s underprivileged areas, according to Ihab Qadri, the representative of the leather and textile industries sector in the Jordan Chamber of Industry (JCI).
According to Jordan News Agency, Qadri stated that the initiative was born out of a genuine partnership between the Ministry of Labor and the private sector, with the goal of enhancing local development and achieving sustainable growth by attracting investments. In remarks to “Petra” on Sunday, Qadri emphasized that these productive branches of factories and companies have contributed to creating a robust economic environment in targeted impoverished areas, thereby improving living standards and providing job opportunities for thousands of Jordanians.
Qadri highlighted that the initiative has played a crucial role in achieving long-te
rm social and economic stability. He explained that the initiative also aims to establish productive units as branches of the main factories in remote and economically challenged areas, offering training and employment opportunities for unemployed Jordanians, particularly women. The initiative supports companies by covering construction costs, paying workers’ salaries, providing social security benefits, transportation allowances, and meeting other infrastructure-related expenses, as well as offering some tax and customs incentives.
Furthermore, Qadri noted that the initiative has been a significant success since its inception, employing thousands of Jordanians in various sectors, including the garment, food, paper and cardboard industries, and medical supplies. He elaborated that a total of 31 productive branches have been launched so far, providing around 9,800 job opportunities for Jordanians, with women making up over 90% of this workforce. Efforts are currently underway to open two additional productive
branches, which are expected to create 400 new job opportunities.
In alignment with the targets of the Economic Modernization Vision for the knitwear sector, plans are in place to create 149,000 jobs for Jordanians over the next ten years, representing about 15% of the total targeted opportunities.