Day: 5 October 2024

A fourth aid aircraft of the Royal Jordanian Air Force carrying 108 tons of food supplies touched down at Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport Saturday afternoon, as part of assistance to Lebanon in facing the current tough conditions.

Representative of the Lebanese Army Command, Brigadier General Jamal Makrazel, who welcomed the plane, thanked His Majesty King Abdullah II for Jordan’s continued support of the Lebanese people, which reflects the true and brotherly relations between the two countries.

Source: Jordan News Agency

A security source announced the killing of the Director of Ramadi Power Station with his family members, numbering 5 people, in mysterious circumstances, inside their home in the city of Al-Baghdadi, west of Anbar.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency

Unemployment rates have declined since the Economic Modernization Vision was launched, dropping from 24.1 in 2021 to 22 percent in 2023, the Jordan Economic Forum (JEF) said.

JEF, an economic platform that tracks major macro and microeconomic indicators, said in a paper released on Saturday that the latest unemployment and job opportunities’ data is a positive indicator of the Jordanian economy’s ability to achieve economic reform programs’ goals, including generating 100,000 job opportunities annually over the next decade.

This data is a key indicator towards achieving sustainable and comprehensive economic growth, reflecting the resilience of the Jordanian economy in the midst of regional and international challenges, including the global economic turmoil and political fluctuations in the region, JEF pointed out.

Department of Statistics (DoS) figures pointed to a decline in unemployment rates by the end of the second quarter of the year, reaching 21.4 percent, as about 95,342 opportunities were created
in 2023, about 95 percent of the annual target set in the economic modernization vision, the latest survey showed.

This figure marks a significant increase, compared to the annual average of new job opportunities during the past five years, the paper noted.

The new jobs were 65,595 for males, about 69 percent, and 29,748 for females, or 31 percent, it said, adding that the private sector took the lion’s share, with 70.7 percent of the total, which underlined the private sector’s role as a locomotive of economic growth and employment.

Source: Jordan News Agency

A security source announced that the number of people injured in a bomb explosion in Kirkuk has risen to nine, including six students.

An explosive device exploded this morning, targeting an exchange office in the Qassab Khana area, north of Kirkuk. The explosion resulted in the injury of three people in an initial toll.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency

Under Royal Directives, a fourth Royal Air Force C130 aid aircraft flew to Lebanon on Saturday to help the country overcome the current tough conditions.

The plane, which was dispatched by the Jordan Armed Forces – Arab Army (JAF) in coordination with the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization, carried food, medical and relief supplies.

The new aid is to support the health sector in Lebanon, and is an expression of the deep relations between the two countries and Jordan’s keenness on providing assistance to “the brothers in Lebanon.”

Source: Jordan News Agency

Jordan took part in a conference organized by the International Consortium on Governmental Financial Management in Washington that brought together more than 100 experts from 30 nations.

Director General of the Government Tenders Department (GTD) Mahmoud Khliefat, a keynote speaker, gave a presentation on Jordan’s milestone government achievements and financial reforms in modernizing the government procurement system in recent years.

He pointed to key projects, initiatives and sectoral plans that are integrated with all tracks of the economic modernization vision in line with the eight main goals of growth drivers, global procurement competitiveness indicators and the 2030 Sustainable Development Plan in the Arab region, according to a GTD statement.

Khliefat also outlined via video conference key government achievements within the legislative framework, mainly the introduction of a unified government procurement system, replacing 54 previous systems, and issuing standard procurement documents for works an
d supplies, and the institutional framework, digital transformation and capacity-building in government procurement.

He pointed to development policies adopted by the Jordanian government in this domain, including supporting micro, small and medium enterprises and enhancing their participation in government procurement, sustainable procurement policies, green procurement policies, and empowering women, youth and people with disabilities in government procurement.

Khliefat touched on key guides that were adopted, including the evaluation of performance of contractors and technical service providers, and detailed digital transformation and automation of purchasing procedures, including JONEPS (Jordan ONline E-Procurement System), automation of classification procedures and the Price Index and Coding projects.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Salfit – Ma’an – The Salfit Governorate issued its monthly report on Israeli violations against citizens and their property in the governorate, for the month of September of the current year 2024, in which it documented about 327 Israeli violations in all of its towns and villages.

Governor Kamil said: The policy of incursions, checkpoints, closures, raids on homes, and settler attacks has witnessed a noticeable escalation in the recent period in the governorate, and is considered a form of collective punishment. The governorate institution monitored 76 incursions, most notably the storming of schools in the village of Haris, obstructing the educational process, raiding 57 homes and facilities, and 15 settler attacks on citizens and their property. The occupation army controlled freedom of movement by setting up 36 temporary checkpoints.

He stated that the report also monitored 21 cases of closing the entrances to towns and villages with iron gates, under flimsy pretexts, and there are gates and entrances t
hat remain closed since the events of October 7 until today.

Kamil explained that the occupation army carried out about 78 detention and arrest operations against the governorate’s residents during the past month, and monitored 3 army attacks on citizens and their property, and confiscated 12 vehicles and public and private property under the pretext of working in areas classified as ‘C.’

The report monitored the bulldozing of citizens’ lands, as the occupation bulldozers bulldozed dozens of dunams of citizens’ lands in the town of Qaraweh Bani Hassan and various areas for the benefit of settlement, and uprooted and broke 112 olive trees in Kafr al-Dik and Deir Istiya.

Kamil pointed out that the report documented notices to stop work and construction in Deir Ballut, Al-Zawiya and Rafat, where 27 notices were delivered to homes and agricultural lands not to reclaim them and work on them, and the demolition of 3 homes under construction in Al-Zawiya and Deir Ballut.

As for the destruction and theft of citiz
ens’ property, there were about 5 acts of sabotage, which included burning and vandalizing property, chasing shepherds, throwing stones at vehicles, and others.

The Governor of Salfit noted that the report recorded the injury of a boy in the town of Qaraweh Bani Hassan by the bullets of the occupation soldiers after storming the town.

Kamil added that the violations committed by the occupation army and its settlers in the Salfit Governorate reveal the true intentions of the occupation government, which is thirsty for terrorism and aims to erase the Palestinian presence and displace them from their land, and impose a policy of de facto to end the Palestinian dream of establishing an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.

Source: Maan News Agency

Jordan’s economy grew by 2.4% in the second quarter of 2024, a result seen by economists as a solid achievement, especially amid the ongoing challenges posed by Israel’s military aggression on Gaza.

Experts noted that this growth underscores the resilience and adaptability of the national economy despite ongoing regional turmoil, supply chain disruptions, and rising shipping costs.

Speaking to the Jordan News Agency (Petra), economists highlighted Jordan’s ability to maintain positive momentum through focused domestic production and clear economic policies aimed at bolstering overall stability.

They also pointed to the country’s adherence to its comprehensive Economic Modernization Vision as a key factor driving sustainable growth.

Jordan’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 2.4% in Q2 2024 reflects steady expansion across key sectors, with agriculture leading the way, recording a 6.2% increase.

The transport, storage, and communication sector followed, growing by 4.8%, while the electricity and
water sector saw a rise of 4.5%.

Meanwhile, the manufacturing sector posted a more moderate growth of 3.1%. However, the mining and extraction industries and the construction sector reported slight contractions of -1.3% and -1.5%, respectively.

Musa Al-Saket, a member of the Amman Chamber of Industry, emphasized that while the 2.4% growth is a promising sign, it remains modest in the context of Jordan’s 1.9% population growth rate.

He pointed out that the net impact is only a 0.5% real growth in per capita terms, which is insufficient to drive substantial job creation or significantly boost the economy.

Al-Saket noted that agriculture’s 6% growth offers optimism but warned that industrial growth, at just 3.1%, continues to underperform.

He underscored the importance of the industrial sector, not just in GDP contribution but also in employment, adding that construction’s continued contraction reflects broader challenges in the real estate and infrastructure sectors.

Economic expert Noah Shiyyab echoed th
ese sentiments, saying that the current geopolitical climate, including the war in Gaza and regional instability, makes this level of growth a positive sign.

However, he cautioned that growth below 5% falls short of the targets set by Jordan’s Economic Modernization Vision, which seeks to foster sustainable development and job creation.

“While the 2.4% growth shows resilience, it does not provide the scale needed to meaningfully improve living standards or reduce unemployment,” Shiyyab said, adding that stronger performance in key sectors like manufacturing, industry, and construction is essential to achieving broader economic goals.

Economic analyst Ahmad Al-Majali described the current growth as a significant milestone, considering the international and regional pressures on Jordan.

He highlighted the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza and its wider economic ripple effects, from fluctuating markets to disrupted supply chains.

Despite these challenges, Jordan has maintained a flexible and dynamic econom
y, thanks to well-planned economic policies aligned with the royal vision.

He also credited Jordan’s leadership for consistently pursuing reforms that bolster economic immunity against external shocks. According to Al-Majali, the growth sends a strong message to both domestic and foreign investors that Jordan remains a stable and promising environment for business, even in times of regional crisis.

Board member of the Jordan Economic Forum, Mohammad Al-Qaryouti, underscored that despite regional and global economic pressures, Jordan has demonstrated strength as an institutional state, with well-coordinated efforts between public and private sectors.

Al-Qaryouti pointed out the government’s steady focus on self-reliance through domestic production and services as key to the country’s economic resilience.

He further emphasized that the agriculture sector’s 6.2% growth, despite Jordan being one of the world’s most water-scarce nations, reflects significant advances in agricultural methods and market expansio
n.

Al-Qaryouti also noted that while the construction sector contracted, other sectors such as wholesale, retail, hotels, and restaurants maintained steady growth, driven by price stability in goods and services. Meanwhile, the 3.1% growth in the manufacturing sector highlights an increased focus on value-added production.

Financial services, insurance, and the overall banking sector also saw growth of 1.6%, a notable achievement given global market volatility.

Al-Qaryouti stressed that Jordan’s foreign currency reserves, surpassing $20 billion, underpin the country’s economic strength.

Overall, economists agree that while Jordan’s recent economic performance is commendable, the focus must remain on achieving higher growth rates to meet the nation’s ambitious long-term development targets and address underlying structural challenges.

Source: Jordan News Agency