Ammon News - By Hani Hazaimeh/ The Jordan Times

AMMAN - Government teams have begun surveying the Kingdom's 32 poverty pockets to identify their priority needs, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Jafar Hassan said.

"Inter-agency teams have already started surveying 12 poverty pockets. This measure will provide the ministry and relevant ministries with accurate data on the these areas' needs, on which the executive development programmes will be based," Hassan told The Jordan Times in a recent interview.

He added that the information that will be collected during the surveys, in addition to recently concluded surveys on household income and expenditures, will be used to identify development indicators for these pockets as well as to assess flaws and weaknesses, helping determine the measures needed to promote development in each area.

Hassan pointed out that the poverty pockets have different priorities, such as a lack of training centres, inefficient health centres, transportation difficulties, or a shortage of high-quality public schools.

"Some of these areas house investments and businesses, so it is important to provide the local residents with skills and professional training so they can take the jobs these enterprises in their local communities," the minister said.

He added that coordination with the private sector as well as the investors is of high importance in achieving that goal.

The survey project, a joint effort of all concerned ministries, will be conducted by 10 teams comprising members from the ministries of interior, agriculture, social development, transport, municipal affairs, public works and housing, environment, health, education, and water and irrigation, according to the minister.

The process is expected to conclude before December.

Within that context, Hassan said the ministry has started work on an executive programme for the Jordan Valley, as well as the governorates of Mafraq and Maan, adding that these areas were selected due to the relatively high poverty rates recorded in these communities.

“The planning ministry’s role in these areas will be capacity building. However, once the government decentralisation plan is put in place, these areas will be responsible for setting up their respective executive development programmes in accordance with their priority needs,” the minister added.

The minister was referring to a plan to delegate more authorities to these regions, where officials and representatives of local communities will decide in a democratic process what to do with budgetary allocations to develop their respective areas.

The ministry is working to strategies and programmes to enhance productivity over the next five years, said the minister, adding that the ministry’s programmes are also focusing on women’s issues and youths.

He added that efforts will also be made to allocate grants and loans to finance income-generating projects in order to empower individuals to start their own businesses that will help in improving their households’ living conditions.