Jordan faced many challenges, foremost are the high public debt and the large budget deficit due to hosting multiple refugee waves and the number of Syrian refugees reached about 1, 3 million, which put pressure on the Kingdom’s infrastructure, Head of Lower House Economy and Investment Committee, Khair Abu Sa’ilik, said on Wednesday.
During a meeting with Indonesian ambassador to Jordan, Ade Padmo Sarwono, and the accompanying Indonesian Senate budget affairs delegation, Abu Sa’ilik added that Jordan has made “remarkable” efforts to protect its borders from terror infiltration into its territory, and highlighted Covid19 pandemic-induced challenges and economic crisis, which affected Jordan’s high debt and budget deficit.
On the Palestinian issue, Abu Sa’ilik said Jordan supports the Palestinian cause as the central issue and highlighted the need to find just and comprehensive peace.
The Lower House, he noted, affirms the Hashemite custodianship’s importance and role in preserving the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem’s Al-Quds Al-Sharif.
With regard to Jordan’s current reform process, Abu Sa’ilek said Jordan entered its bicentenary and focuses on political, economic and administrative development axes.
In this regard, he said one third of Jordan’s Constitution was amended within a reform package, and new elections and parties laws were also endorsed to stimulate public engagement in political life.
On the economic axis, he said the Royal Hashemite Court, under His Majesty King Abdullah II’s directives, kicked off economic workshops that brought together over 500 figures concerned with economic affairs, which then led to launching Economic Modernization Vision for a 10-year period to improve Jordan’s economic environment.
The government, he noted, will present to the Lower House a draft investment environment law, pointing to House’s economy and investment committee’s willingness to benefit from Indonesia’s expertise in this regard.
He also stressed importance of exchanging financial expertise with Indonesia, calling for holding a conference to bring together the two countries’ businesspeople to discuss files of common interest and stimulate joint investment.
For his part, the envoy affirmed his country’s support for His Majesty King Abdullah II’s stances towards the Palestinian cause and Hashemite custodianship over Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem’s Al-Quds Al-Sharif.
Sarwono also called for strengthening bilateral relations in various fields, especially economic and agricultural areas, and exchanging expertise in this regard.
Source: Jordan News Agency