Addustour - Minister of Planning and International Cooperation / Minister of State for Economic Affairs Dr. Mohammed Al-Assas said that tackling the effects of regional crises that have negatively affected the Jordanian economy cannot be solved at the expense of the Jordanian citizen and there is no alternative to stimulating the economy except by increasing growth and creating job opportunities to face these challenges.

The minister made the remarks on the sidelines of the World Bank's annual meetings in which he participated as a keynote speaker at a high-level panel discussion alongside World Bank Group President David Malpas.

ialogue on effective measures to reduce poverty and stimulate growth was moderated by Sheila Bazarbasioglu, Vice President for Balanced Growth, Finance and Institutions, as well as Nigeria's Minister of Planning, Aichatu Bulamakan, and Kenyan Central Bank Governor Patrick Ingurug.

The minister said in his intervention that the best way to reduce poverty and achieve economic growth is to create jobs for young people, as Jordan has maintained growth rates of 2% despite the crises and challenges faced during the past decade due to the instability in the region.

Dr. Al-Assas called on the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the international financial institutions to focus on growth and job creation and avoid tax solutions to address the economic imbalances arising mainly from the slowdown of the economy, stressing the importance of finding balanced solutions to reduce the fiscal deficit and provide opportunities for the economy to grow.

The minister concluded by stressing the need to create a balance between financial stability and economic growth to ensure that Jordanian youth get jobs and give them hope for a promising future.

In a panel discussion at the World Bank's annual Middle East and North Africa Day meeting in Washington, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation and Minister of State for Economic Affairs Dr. Mohammed Al-Assas participated as a keynote speaker along with Egyptian Minister of Investment and International Cooperation Sahar Nasr. One of the World Bank's top economic advisers discussed the next generation of reforms in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region that focus on competition, growth and jobs.

The Minister stressed the importance of investing in vital sectors that provide high-quality service jobs and skills development for the employment of Jordanian youth, which contribute to economic growth, and among these sectors, which Jordan has competitive advantages over the countries of the region, the sectors of information technology, medical tourism, education technology and software.

The Minister also held a meeting with the President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Soma Chakrabarty, where the two sides discussed the priorities of support to the Jordanian government during the next phase, especially the partnership between the public and private sectors, which is one of the most important priorities of the Jordanian government to achieve economic growth and create more jobs and improve Services provided to citizens.

Chakrabarti announced the Bank's intention to support the Government of Jordan to contribute to the establishment of the recently launched Public-Private Partnership Development Fund, and discussed the priorities of the Bank's strategy for Jordan for the years 2020-2025, which is still under preparation, in order to increase the size of the portfolio. Investment in the Kingdom.

On behalf of the Jordanian government, Dr. Al-Assas thanked the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for its continuous support to Jordan through investment in various fields.

On the sidelines of his participation in the annual meetings of the World Bank, Minister Al-Assas met with USAID Deputy Director Bonnie Glick, where they discussed the priorities of the Jordanian government for the next phase, in addition to discussing the main priority sectors of the Jordanian government, which USAID intends to implement development projects. During the next phase, the most prominent of these sectors «water and sanitation, education, health».

Dr. Al-Assas thanked the USAID on behalf of the Government of Jordan for its continued support to the Kingdom. USAID is one of the most important development partners of the Government of Jordan in the implementation of the priorities.

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