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Ammon News - Prime Minister Bishr Khasawneh Thursday met with a delegation of executive directors of the World Bank Group, headed by the Dean of the Board Merza Hasan.

During the meeting, the premier and the executives discussed the partnership between the Kingdom and the bank, and means to prop up the government's development efforts.

During the meeting, Khasawneh reviewed the comprehensive reform programs and projects implemented under the vision of His Majesty King Abdullah II in the political, economic and administrative fields, in addition to the economic challenges facing the Kingdom, which were amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic over the past two years.

He pointed to the impact of the Russian-Ukrainian crisis on the increase in prices of basic commodities and materials and the spike in oil prices, noting that the prices of oil derivatives were fixed for a period of 4 months, but, by April, the prices of oil derivatives will reflect the international oil prices.

He highlighted His Majesty King Abdullah's commitment to making Jordan, in cooperation with neighboring countries, a regional hub for cooperation and integration in the field of food security.

Khasawneh also pointed to the burdens Jordan shoulders as a result of hosting Syrian refugees, which has pressured the health, education and labor sectors, in light of the international community's "weak contribution" to the Jordan Response Plan for the Syrian crisis and the government's economic priorities program, which aims to address basic challenges such as unemployment.

Moreover, the premier highlighted the National Economic Workshop, held at the Royal Hashemite Court with the participation of ministers and representatives of the private sector to come up with a comprehensive vision and road map for Jordan. The ten-year plan, he indicated, will focus on expanding the key economic sectors, enhancing economic empowerment, creating job opportunities and improving the quality of life.

On the new cost-saving electricity tariff, he underscored that any amounts saved following its implementation in April will be channeled into supporting the productive industrial, trade and agricultural sectors.

He underlined the government's commitment to boosting its partnership with the private sector, improving the business and investment environment, and attracting more investments that move the wheel of the economy, promote economic growth and provide job opportunities.

For his part, Hasan renewed the bank's commitment to supporting Jordan's development efforts and furthering cooperation with the Kingdom to overcome the economic challenges, lauding the ongoing reforms in the Kingdom.

Members of the delegation indicated that it is important for the international community to continue supporting Jordan to provide refugees with basic needs.