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Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Imad N. Al Fakhoury presided today over the first meeting of the coordinating committee of the executive development program 2016-2018, after the Council of Ministers endorsed the program earlier this month.

The minister thanked government bodies for the efforts exerted by heads and members of sectoral working teams, general secretaries and directors as well as the auxiliary technical teams in drawing the executive development program 2016-2018. "We moved now to the phase of implementation," he said, adding that the program is the first phase of implementing Jordan 2025 document. The program will be followed by two phases of implementation: 2019-2021 and 2022-2025," he said.

The minister explained that the program is inclusive of all the 26 economic and social sectors; it also has goals and 578 performance indicators, programs, projects and legislations that are linked to initiatives of Jordan 2025 document.

"We have been keen from the beginning to adopt the participatory approach in preparation to ensure the involvement of all concerned parties. We have also been eager to streamline gender issues and to make them relevant to the program by coordinating with the Jordanian National Commission for Women, which reviewed the sectoral drafts of the program," he explained.

The program passed through many stages until it was endorsed. Most initiatives of the grogram of the Jordan 2025 document were adopted. The number of initiatives in this program amounts to 340 initiatives to be implemented during the years of 2016-2018.

In light of the council's decision on endorsing the program, Al Fakhoury stressed that the committee will coordinate with the General Budget Department to identify projects of priority that have not been funded by the public budget and the budget of independent government units of 2016.

He reiterated that the program will be the reference in getting foreign funding and will also be the starting point for funding authorities in identifying their priorities for funding development programs in Jordan.

Al Fakhoury said that a package of projects in major sectors have been identified for public-private implementation.

He added that MOPIC is coordinating with all relevant authorities and UN agencies to streamline goals, purposes and indicators of sustainable development 2030 into the development program. A workshop will be held in the first half of 2016 for all government and private institutions for this purpose.

He told committee members that MOPIC is cooperating with the Achievement Unit at the Prime Ministry to accomplish a computerized follow up software that links all the 120 implementing parties in the executive program.

The MOPIC will follow up the implementation of the executive program, reporting on it and submitting reports to the ministerial committees and the council of ministers. The Achievement Unit will follow up the major initiatives and mega projects, and at the macro level of Jordan 2025 document.

The minister said that the executive program is a flexible one that will be annually reviewed as needed. It will also be reviewed in light of the general census of population and housing.

Al Fakhoury pointed out that the sectoral working teams will continue to hold quarterly meetings to follow up on achievements and compare them to set goals.