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Minister of State for Media Affairs, Sakher Dudin, said the government’s economic priorities for the years 2021-2023 aims to regain economic recovery after the slowdown that occurred due to the Coronavirus pandemic and its impacts.

"The Priorities Program was implemented in response to the royal directives to set practical measures for economic recovery," Dudin said in a joint press conference with Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Nasser Shraideh, held Sunday evening at the Prime Ministry.

Dudin added that this program is of a procedural nature, and has a time frame set at twenty-four months (two years), and also includes quick reform measures aimed at increasing investment, generating job opportunities, and encouraging growth and exports.

He explained that the program's priorities and themes were developed based on previous plans and sectoral strategies, and following consultations with the Lower House of Parliament, the Senate, and economic, financial and industrial sectors and stakeholders most closely related to them.

Dudin, who is also the government spokesperson, pointed out that the program is realistic in terms of implementation, availability of funding, and the ability to measure impact, in addition to focusing on priority economic sectors: tourism, information technology, agriculture, and industry.

During the conference, Dudin highlighted the government's efforts in dealing with the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic and mitigating its impact on various sectors.

At the beginning of December of last year, Dudin explained, the government launched a package of measures to alleviate the economic and living consequences on individuals and some affected sectors, with a value of JD320 million, which included at the time bearing part of the wages of workers in the private sector, and expanding the social protection umbrella for families and individuals whose businesses were affected.

The government, Dudin said, also launched a set of mitigating and stimulus measures and decisions with a total value of (JD448 million) in March of this year, with the aim of stimulating the economy and alleviating burdens on citizens and various sectors affected by the Covis-19 pandemic

He indicated that these measures and decisions included six main themes: social protection, preserving job opportunities in the private sector, stimulating employment, easing the burdens on the public transport sector, supporting investment activities in development zones, facilitating the collection of money owed from citizens, economic activities, and relieving borrowers from government lending funds.

He pointed out that the government announced in May of this year a plan for the gradual reopening of sectors, in order to reach a safe summer.

"We have set clear timetables that will end with resuming operations in all sectors at the beginning of next September, which will culminate - God willing - with the return of schools and universities to in-class education on their scheduled dates, according to safe protocols that guarantee the safety of students, teaching and administrative bodies, and this is a national strategic goal whose importance we all agree on," Dudin said.

Dudin noted that the government, in conjunction with all these measures, launched a vaccination campaign against the Coronavirus at the beginning of this year, specifically since the middle of last January.

"We gradually expanded this campaign after the infrastructure was prepared for this, including vaccination centers in all governorates, in addition to contracting sufficient quantities for all target groups," he added.

"Today, praise be to God, we find that we are in a relatively reassuring situation, especially in light of the stability rates of infections to less than 5%, due to the availability of vaccinations, the demand to receive them, and enhancing the capabilities of our hospitals, which the government has worked since its formation to double its capabilities to be ready to absorb any wave or any emergency, God forbid," the media minister explained.

He also emphasized that the pandemic has not ended, and that receiving the vaccine is the strategic option and lifeline, stressing the need to adhere to safety, prevention and distancing measures to ensure staying in a safe situation, "in which we are walking confidently towards recovery and returning to our normal lives."

Dudin reiterated that the government always relies on the responsible patriotic sense of citizens, and the media's great efforts, as it is an key partner in supporting the government's efforts by raising awareness of the importance of receiving vaccinations, and maintaining adherence to preventive measures, to avoid any setback or regression.

Dodin also stressed that the government is open to all media outlets, noting that it was not possible to invite representatives of all media outlets to attend press conferences in the prime minister's office in person, due to the epidemiological conditions that require compliance with issued defense orders and ways to prevent the pandemic.

He added that any media outlet that did not attend the conference can send its questions and inquiries to the phone number and e-mail designated for that, and inquiries will be answered as quickly as possible.

Doudin noted that, in compliance with the government's policy of facilitating the flow of information to the media, the document of the 2021-2023 government's economic priorities program will be available on the Prime Ministry's website and is available to the media and all interested parties from civil society institutions and research institutions.

He said that the government, through those concerned with this program, will continue in communication meetings and interact with requests from media outlets wishing to expand the explanation and coverage of the program.