Jordan: Government committed to EMV goals, public-private partnerships — Minister
AMMAN — Minister of State for Economic Affairs Muhannad Shehadeh on Tuesday stressed that the government's decisions are aimed at enhancing the quality of life for Jordanians and fostering comprehensive economic growth.
Deputising for the prime minister at the National Dialogue Conference titled "The Economic Modernisation Vision: Partnership for Jordan's Future," Shehadeh affirmed the government's dedication to turning the goals of the Economic Modernisation Vision (EMV) into tangible results, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.
The conference, organised under the Nazaha Project with funding from the European Union and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation, and implemented by the Hayat Rased Centre and Rasheed for Transparency International, provided a platform for civil society and government representatives to engage in dialogue.
Shehadeh highlighted the government's efforts to exceed growth targets, noting that its policies prioritise quality of life, economic expansion, and sustainability.
He also announced that the government in June is scheduled to start workshops with the private sector and civil society to create a four-year action plan, aligned with the upcoming fiscal year's budget, featuring 'clear timelines and measurable goals.'
Acknowledging the private sector's 'vital' role in attracting foreign investment, Shehadeh stressed that economic growth depends on public-private partnerships, underscoring the sector's right to profit, access facilities, and contribute through taxation.
He also noted that the prime minister's visits to various governorates are part of a 'strategic' mechanism to assess and evaluate progress, following Royal instructions.
Director General of the Hayat Centre Amer Bani Amer highlighted the importance of positive dialogue between civil society and the government for sustainable economic development.
He referred to the centre's policy paper on enhancing civil society's role in the EMV as a way to support more effective participation in decision-making and implementation.
Spanish Ambassador to Jordan Miguel de Lucas González commended the 'strong' bilateral relations and collaborative initiatives, noting that Spain's development cooperation model prioritises civil society involvement, transparency and accountability.
Counsellor at the European Union Delegation to Jordan Adam Janssen reiterated the EU's 'long-standing' partnership with Jordan, describing civil society as the 'cornerstone' of democratic participation and social progress.
He said that the Nazaha Project represents a collaborative effort to improve social accountability and bridge the gap between citizens and the state, underscoring the importance of empowering civil society to influence policymaking and legislation.
The Hayat Rased Centre also presented a draft policy paper discussing civil society's role in implementing the EMV.
The paper, which was based on regional consultations, found that limited awareness among civil society groups has hindered their engagement with the EMV.
Participants identified key priorities, including addressing unemployment by promoting investment, simplifying administrative procedures, aligning education with labour market needs, supporting entrepreneurship and SMEs in underserved areas, ensuring tax fairness, and advancing major projects in energy and water sectors.
Civil society representatives also highlighted challenges such as 'weak' legislative and administrative stability, 'poor' coordination among stakeholders, rising public debt, inadequate financing, and a 'lack' of transparency, all of which have impeded effective implementation and 'eroded' public trust.
The paper recommended institutionalising civil society's participation in decision-making through planning committees, holding regular national and local dialogues, improving legal frameworks to empower civil society, and enhancing transparency through joint oversight bodies and public reporting.
It also called for enhancing internal governance in civil society organisations, improving communication with the government, and using advocacy tools such as public awareness campaigns and media engagement to promote shared development objectives.
© Copyright The Jordan Times. All rights reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gulf Today
17 hours ago
- Gulf Today
New push in Europe to curb children's social media use
From dangerous diet tips to disinformation, cyberbullying to hate speech, the glut of online content harmful to children grows every day. But several European countries have had enough and agree the EU should do more to prevent minors' access to social media. The European Union already has some of the world's most stringent digital rules to rein in Big Tech, with multiple probes ongoing into how platforms protect children - or fail to do so. Backed by France and Spain, Greece spearheaded a proposal for how the EU should limit children's use of online platforms as a rising body of evidence shows the negative effects of social media on children's mental and physical health. They discussed the plan on Friday with EU counterparts in Luxembourg to push the idea of setting an age of digital adulthood across the 27-country bloc, meaning children would not be able to access social media without parental consent. France, Greece and Denmark believe there should be a ban on social media for under-15s, while Spain has suggested a ban for under-16s. Australia has banned social media for under-16s, taking effect later this year, while New Zealand and Norway are considering a similar prohibition. After the day's talks in Luxembourg, it appeared there was no real appetite at this stage for a EU-wide ban on children under a specific age. But Danish Digital Minister Caroline Stage Olsen indicated there would be no let-up. 'It's going to be something we're pushing for,' she said. Top EU digital official Henna Virkkunen admitted specific age limits would be 'challenging' for multiple reasons, including cultural differences in member states and how it would work in practice. But the European Commission, the EU's digital watchdog, still intends to launch an age-verification app next month, insisting it can be done without disclosing personal details. The EU last month published non-binding draft guidelines for platforms to protect minors, to be finalised once a public consultation ends this month, including setting children's accounts to private by default, and making it easier to block and mute users. French Digital Minister Clara Chappaz said it would be 'a very big step' if the EU made platforms check the real age of their users, as theoretically required under current regulation. The worry is that children as young as seven or eight can easily create an account on social media platforms despite a minimum age of 13, by giving a false date of birth. 'If we all agree as Europeans to say this needs to stop, there needs to be a proper age verification scheme, then it means that children below 13 won't be able to access the platform,' Chappaz said. France has led the way in cracking down on platforms, passing a 2023 law requiring them to obtain parental consent for users under the age of 15. Agence France-Presse
Al Etihad
a day ago
- Al Etihad
Beijing proposes leasing export of rare earths to EU
7 June 2025 14:35 Beijing (AFP)China has proposed establishing a 'green channel' to ease the export of rare earths to the European Union, the commerce ministry said Saturday, after Beijing restricted their sale has since April required licenses to export these strategic materials from China, which accounts for more than 60 percent of rare earth mining production and 92 percent of global refined output, according to the International Energy metals are used in a wide variety of products, including electric car batteries, and there has been criticism from industries about the way China's licenses have been issued.'Export control on rare earths and other items is an international practice,' the commerce ministry said in a statement.'China attaches great importance to Europe's concerns and is willing to establish a green channel for eligible applications, fast track the examination and approval, and instruct the working level to maintain timely communication on this,' a ministry statement comments were attributed to China's Commerce Minister Wang Wentao, who met Tuesday with EU trade commissioner Maros the bilateral talks, Wang said he hoped the bloc would turn 'take reciprocal action, adopt effective measures to facilitate, safeguard, and promote compliant trade of high-tech products with China,' according to the commerce two officials also discussed imports by European countries of Chinese electric vehicles, which the EU has hit with levies over allegedly unfair subsidies from Beijing.'The negotiation on the price commitment of electric vehicles between China and Europe has entered the final stage, but both sides still need to make efforts,' the commerce ministry said. The discussions will be followed by China hosting a summit with the EU next month, 50 years since Beijing and Brussels established diplomatic relations.
Gulf Today
a day ago
- Gulf Today
The rate is in a safe neutral position
The European Central Bank has reduced the interest rate to 2 per cent from 2.25 per cent, and it seems to have completed the cycle of reduction of rates from 4.25 per cent in June 2024. Markets are betting that the central bank would not reduce any further when it meets in July. The rate is now in a neutral position, where it can neither stimulate growth nor serve as a restraint. Bank president Christine Lagarde said at a press conference, 'At the current level we believe we are in a good position to navigate the uncertain circumstances that will be coming up.' She also said that the bank does not have any pre-determined position on the rate path, and it will take things as they turn out. The two major challenges that the European Union (EU) faces is the slow growth in the economy on the continent, and the tariffs that US President Donald Trump had announced on European imports as he did on imports from all American trade partners. European leaders are looking to negotiations but they have taken a firm position that they will not capitulate to the tariff threats of Washington. Because of lower economic growth, inflation is also aligned to the interest rate. There is however no clear monetary strategy to handle the present state of the European economy. The obvious way forward is to lower interest still further – and there is room for that between the existing 2 per cent and zero interest rate – to revive domestic investment demand. The problem that the European economy is facing is the pressure on its exports, which is a major anchor for European economic growth. In the May World Economic Outlook (WEO), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) says that the euro area will grow by 0.8 per cent in 2025 and by 1.2 per cent in 2026. There is 0.2 per cent reduction in the growth projection for the two years since the January 2025 WEO. Though the Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe (CESEE) seems to be doing slightly better than the advanced European economies, the projected figures show a slowing down of growth. For CESEE, it shows a growth of 2.4 per cent for 2025, a reduction by 0.6 per cent, and 2.7 per cent in 2026, a reduction by 0.4 per cent from the January projections. Europe's economic woes precede Trump's tariff onslaught. And the reasons are many. One of the major issues is the demography. The ageing population impacts the workforce, and the governments are burdened with social security commitments. It is surprising that the anti-immigrant right-wing parties have been making political headway in the elections across the continent. What Europe needs is an immigration policy to reinforce its workforce, and the skilling of the immigrants to take their place in the factories. But the governments do not have a policy of integrating the immigrants into the workforce. The second major issue is the burden of climate change and the energy transition that many of the EU members are committed to make. The plain fact is that Europe cannot hope to continue with the old fossil fuel-based production processes. The climate change processes involve financial commitments and the results will be slow in showing in terms of cleaning up the air, the rivers, and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. And more importantly, the global markets are changing, and the slowdown of exports will affect the European economy more than ever. The challenges that Europe faces are formidable. And the political responses have been quite erratic. The rise of right-wing political parties with their outdated notions that there is no climate change and that immigrants pose a problem to the prosperity of Europe is not really helpful.
