Ammon News -
Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh on Sunday presented his government’s policy statement to the Lower House of Parliament, and pledged full partnership and cooperation with the legislatures.
He said government-parliament partnership is a strategic goal, a key requirement for progress, and a national tool that supports the efforts of the Jordanian state in order to overcome difficulties and challenges.
Khasawneh emphasized that his cabinet will pursue an approach that is based on reality, honesty, frankness, transparency and clarity.
The premier indicated that his government will translate its policy statement into a detailed executive action program based on specific timeframes and indicators to allow for robust control over performance.
He added that his government is looking forward to agreeing with the parliament on legislation and measures that serve public interests, saying the government’s work is not limited to addressing the coronavirus pandemic, but will focus on other economic, social and political tasks.
"We are before a historic milestone, in which the Jordanian state crosses into second centenary. It is a proud national watershed, and an opportunity to assess achievement, learn from the lessons of the past, and plan for the future to continue the process of building and achievement, and build on what our forefathers established during the past 100 years," Khasawneh noted.
He stressed that the nation needs to transform challenges into opportunities, foster a self-reliance approach and maintain national achievements made despite all challenges and hardships.
Speaking on the response to the coronavirus pandemic, Khasawneh vowed that his government will continue to apply well-thought and responsible measures needed to address the crisis, indicating that "health security is part and parcel of national security."
The prime minister noted that his government was formed in the midst of the societal spread of the coronavirus pandemic and had two options: either to move towards total or partial and tight closures, or to double health capabilities to keep the epidemiological situation under control, and to enable the health system to deal with any emergency developments.
Accordingly, he added, the government has worked diligently to double health capacities and take precautionary measures to avoid resorting to total or partial tight lockdown, due to its severe economic, social and psychological costs and consequences for citizens.
In this regard, the prime minister noted that the number of isolation beds for COVID patients increased to 4,551 while ICU beds increased to 981. Additionally, the premier said the number of ventilators jumped to 936, noting that the government managed to double the healthcare system capacity by 300 percent.
He also spoke on other measures, including the establishment and operation of an intensive care hospital at the Al-Bashir Hospital, in addition to renting a private hospital to back up the health system’s response to the pandemic.
Furthermore, Khasawneh said his government had signed contracts with private healthcare providers to treat COVID patients at the government’s expense.
Other measures included the setting up of four public hospitals in Amman, Irbid, Ma’an, and Aqaba with a combined bed capacity of 1,160, in addition to three army-run field hospitals with a 900-bed capacity, according to the prime minister.
He indicated that the government has appointed 920 doctors and 1,600 nurses to cover the shortage in medical and nursing staff, promising an expansion of training and rehabilitation programs to include new specializations and larger numbers.
In response to royal directives, Khasawneh pointed out that his government has taken legislative measures to establish a national center for epidemics and communicable disease to build up capacities against the current pandemic or any future diseases.
As for the COVID-19 vaccine, the prime minister told the lawmakers that his government had already signed a contract with Pfizer to buy one million shots of the coronavirus vaccine, in addition to two million shots through the COVAX Facility.
He added that efforts are underway to increase this quantity of vaccines which will be administered to citizens free of charge according to a tightly-knit, transparent and priority-based plan.
"Although we have arrived at a stable and better epidemiological situation in terms of health system capabilities; however, we will continue to work cautiously, gradually and safely in dealing with the pandemic, especially with the emergence of the mutated virus, until we reach a stage in which we and the world are certain that we have overcome the pandemic and its effects and repercussions on health and various sectors," the premier indicated.
In addition to the recent relaxation of night curfew hours, Khasawneh said the government will soon review other measures and take new steps regarding relaxing the Friday lockdown or the opening of new sectors if the epidemiological situation continues to improve.
He added: "The government is looking forward to making a qualitative leap in the health sector in its entirety, by developing health care services, through improving the infrastructure of hospitals and health centers, continuing to achieve accreditation standards, and providing the necessary medical and nursing personnel and equipment."
Khasawneh indicated that his government is seeking to introduce comprehensive health insurance in cooperation with the Royal Medical Services, university hospitals and the private sector, to provide optimal healthcare for Jordanians in all governorates.
To that end, the prime minister indicated, the government has formed a committee from the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Finance, and the Social Security Corporation to lay down a clear roadmap for implementing comprehensive health insurance.
Turning to education, Khasawneh said his government is looking forward to the resumption of direct education but needs to ensure that this return to schools and universities is gradual and more importantly safe for students and academic staff depending on the epidemiological situation in the Kingdom at the beginning of the second semester.
However, the prime minister noted that medical assessments and the experiences of other countries have proven that rushing a complete and unstudied opening of sectors led to epidemiological setbacks.
In parallel, he added, the government is working to evaluate the distance education experience for schools and universities, with the aim of maturing and improving it, developing electronic educational content to be more interactive, and providing students in need with devices and equipment.
Speaking about the government’s response to the economic and financial fallout of the coronavirus crisis, the premier noted that his government launched last month measures and programs at a cost of JD320 million to provide support and protection for sectors, businesses and individuals hard hit by the crisis.
He also said that the government expanded social protection to include an additional 1,000 families and subsidized the wages of 180,000 workers in around 20,000 businesses, in addition to establishing a JD20-million risk fund to help tourist establishments sustain their businesses.
He indicated that the government upped the National Aid Fund’s appropriations to a total of JD250 million for 2021 to enable the fund provide assistance to more than 300,000 needy households.
The prime minister explained that the programs and measures launched by the government to provide social protection and support affected sectors are consistent with its plans to introduce economic and financial structural reforms aimed at improving the business environment and stimulating economic growth.
The government will launch the 2021-2024 executive program which includes a comprehensive approach needed to deal with various the economic, social, financial and political issues in accordance with national priorities in various sectors, Khasawneh said, adding that the program will cover 24 developmental sectors and will be implemented by more than 100 government agencies, ministries, official and civil institutions and private sector institutions.
This program, the prime minister explained, aims to boost the competitiveness of productive sectors, in order to achieve acceptable economic growth rates that contribute to reducing unemployment rates, in addition to increasing the flow of local and foreign investments, increasing national exports, improving the purchasing power of citizens by strengthening social protection, and employing digital economy to enhance economic growth.
The government will work to direct foreign aid toward national priorities related to filling financing gaps and implementing priority development programs and projects in accordance with the Executive Development Program, Khasawneh added.
The premier said the coronavirus crisis pushed economic growth in 2020 down to -3 percent, however, he added, the economy is projected to rebound and grow by +2.5 percent, indicating that the government drafted the 2021 budget based on these projections.
The prime minister highlighted the main figures of the 2021 general budget, noting that public revenues are estimated at JD7.8 billion, including JD7.2 in local revenue and JD577 in foreign grants. He indicated that total expenditures are estimated at JD9.9 billion while the post-grant and foreign aid budget deficit is forecast at about JD2 billion.
Khasawneh pointed out that nominal deficit will retreat from 5.7 percent of GDP in 2020 to about 3.7 percent of the projected GDP for 2021, reflecting public finance reforms.
The premier pledged that his government will facilitate and simplify tax and customs procedures, along with improving tax and customs collection, combating tax and customs avoidance and evasion, which, he said, a crime against the homeland and citizens.
He also indicated that the government will address and patch up tax-related distortions and gaps by developing the legislative framework, noting that tenders will be floated for the introduction of the national billing and taxation systems.
The government will activate international cooperation to combat tax evasion by exchanging information and making use of agreements to prevent double taxation, and it will also take the necessary legislative and administrative measures to unify tax administration, in addition to unifying customs administration for all regions of the Kingdom, Khasawneh added.
The prime minister renewed the government’s commitment to reinstating a pay hike to the salaries of public sector employees, which was suspended in mid-2020.
The prime minister explained that weak economic growth is the underlying cause of unemployment, budget deficit and public debt, indicating that propelling growth is not limited to attract foreign capital or improving the business-doing environment, but can by spurred by increasing the productivity of human resources, pursuing an optimal use of knowledge and technology, and enhancing good governance and the rule of law.
"However, at the same time, the government, in light of limited resources and employment prospects, is looking forward to a real partnership with the private sector, and is looking forward to enabling foreign and domestic investment, as key entry points to job creation and employment, and to reduce poverty and unemployment rates," Khasawneh said.
He announced that the government is "seriously" considering establishing a sovereign investment fund, to which the government and foreign investment funds participate, and which is open to Jordanian expatriates, stressing that the proposed fund will be subject to all standards of good governance, oversight and transparency, and all necessary measures to achieve the desired and intended goals of stimulating local and foreign investment in the best way.
Turning to agriculture, the premier said the government is currently working on a new and unconventional approach to address the obstacles and challenges facing this sector, which he described as the "basis and artery" of national food security.
In response to the royal directives, Khasawneh indicated, the government has completed a document through which it seeks to make Jordan a regional center for food security, and is also working to finalize the "agricultural map" to assess the capacity of land resources and their suitability for agriculture.
With regard to water, the prime minister said that the government will continue the implementation of major strategic projects to achieve water security, and will intensify its efforts to secure more water sources, in order to provide effective options for agricultural and industrial development.
Speaking about technology and digitization efforts, the prime minister said 2021 will be an important turning point and will see the launch of more electronic payment projects, the national optical fiber network project, and the comprehensive national data system.
Khasawneh announced that the government is currently implementing a scientifically-based study to restructure the public sector, and is considering the merger of some ministries and agencies, in a way that contributes to streamlining performance, improving the level of services, and controlling spending.
He indicated that the results of this study will soon be forwarded to His Majesty the King, adding that the lower house will have a fundamental legislative role in this process.
He pledged that the government is also committed to supporting the independence of the judiciary and respecting its authority and expanding the application of remote trials in line with international human rights standards, in a way that contributes to speeding up litigation procedures and saving time, effort and financial costs for citizens.
Khasawneh also said the government is working to expand the application of alternative sentencing as a priority and a procedural and legal necessity.
The premier vowed that his government will never be complacent in combating corruption in all its forms and manifestations, and will not tolerate any attack on public money.
To this end, he noted, the government referred to the parliament a number of draft laws that regulate the work of supervisory institutions, foremost among which are: the Audit Bureau bill, the Integrity and Anti-Corruption Commission bill, and a draft law on illicit gain.
"It is necessary to emphasize that character assassination is another manifestation of corruption, which must be combated because it harms the reputation of the nation and prevents many public employees from performing their duties. Moreover, fighting corruption should not be selective, but rather within an institutional approach in which we ensure everyone fulfills their duties without fear, while preserving public money, avoiding transgression on the law, achieving justice and equality, and besieging all manifestations of nepotism and, favoritism," the premier said.
The premier minister stressed that the government also realizes that strengthening the democratic process requires enabling the media to play its role in serving society, expressing the concerns and issues of citizens, and defending our fundamental principles and values.
Based on this, he added, the government affirms its commitment to the values of credibility, transparency and openness, continuous communication with the media, ensuring the right of everyone to obtain information.
He urged the media to point their fingers at wrongdoing and issues that need to be addressed in a professional manner. The premier said his government is aware of current challenges facing paper dailies and will continue to explore any avenues of support to the print media.
Turning to foreign policy, Khasawneh emphasized that Jordan will continue to support the just cause of the Palestinian people and will continue to exert every effort to bring about peace based on the two-state solution which guarantees the establishment of an independent and viable Palestinian state on pre-1967 lines with East Jerusalem as its capital.
"We will also continue to address all practices and violations committed by the Israeli occupation authorities, and all their attempts to change the historical and legal status in Al-Quds Al-Sharif based on the historical Hashemite Custodianship over Muslim and Christian holy sites", he added.
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