- Perseverance is essential; there is no room for hesitation from officials.
- The national carrier project provides opportunities for local industries to benefit.
- The King has instructed the preparation of alternative and suitable plans to avoid any obstacles that may affect the delivery of water supplies to citizens.
Amman - His Majesty King Abdullah II was briefed today, Monday, on the progress and achievements in the government's executive program for the Economic Modernization Vision for the year 2023.
During his meeting with officials at the Al Husseiniya Palace, attended by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II, His Majesty stressed the importance of intensifying efforts and accelerating the implementation of the program. He emphasized the need to focus on major projects and to prepare the workforce to take advantage of the opportunities available.
In the presence of Prime Minister Dr. Bisher Al-Khasawneh, His Majesty underscored the importance of cooperation among various ministries to expedite the implementation procedures of the vision. He emphasized the need to prevent delays in progress due to bureaucratic obstacles.
His Majesty emphasized the need to enhance communication efficiency between officials, citizens, and the private sector, stressing the importance of utilizing media communication tools. He highlighted the importance of presenting the results of priorities and projects and clarifying their impact on citizens' lives. His Majesty also underscored the importance of ensuring the completion of each priority by activating the role of the Government Performance Monitoring Unit.
His Majesty emphasized the importance of developing a monitoring system to analyze performance, address risks, and enforce accountability, affirming that there is no room for hesitation from officials, and that work must continue tirelessly.
His Majesty pointed out that the performance indicators of the Jordanian economy were positive and within expectations before the war on the Gaza Strip last year. He stressed the need to continue working on improving the economic situation during the current year.
His Majesty listened to an explanation from the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs and Minister of State for Public Sector Modernization, Nasser Shraideh, about the most significant achievements through the eight engines of the vision. These include the Investment Engine, Jordan as a Global Destination Engine, Future Services Engine, High-Value Industries Engine, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Engine, Quality of Life Engine, Sustainable Environment Engine, and Sustainable Resources Engine.
On the investment front, His Majesty highlighted the potential for achieving better results in attracting foreign investment to reach the ambitions we aspire to.
Regarding the government performance and achievement monitoring system, Minister Al-Sharida explained that it's an electronic system launched last year, illustrating progress transparently in the Economic Reform Program for the years 2023-2025. He noted that data is continuously updated through quarterly reports on achievements in various sectors, and it is accessible to citizens for review.
His Majesty also monitored the progress of various sectoral projects within the Economic Reform Program, with the National Water Carrier Project being one of the key projects, including desalination and water transfer from Aqaba to Amman.
His Majesty emphasized that the project provides extensive opportunities for local industries to benefit from its construction, operational needs, and other aspects estimated at billions of dollars. He called for the preparation and training of human resources, especially youth, to enable them to work on the project when it commences in the next two years.
His Majesty also stressed the importance of finding ways to secure easy financing for the project from international financial institutions, given the challenges Jordan faces due to hosting refugees.
His Majesty emphasized that water is one of the top national priorities today, and any delay in the project is unacceptable to ensure its completion before the end of the current decade.
His Majesty instructed the preparation of suitable alternative plans to avoid any obstacles that may affect the supply of water to citizens and various sectors.
His Majesty emphasized the importance of the private sector's role in the project and working to expand it to benefit the national economy and promote local industry.
On his part, the Minister of Water and Irrigation, Engineer Raed Abu Al Saud, stated that the "National Carrier" is a strategic project for Jordan, falling within the framework of the economic modernization vision. It aims to provide 300 million cubic meters annually of desalinated water to meet Jordan's drinking water needs.
