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Ammon News - The industrial sector accounted for 21.7% of Jordan's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the first quarter of 2024, according to the latest report on the progress of the Executive Program for the Economic Modernization Vision for the first half of this year.

The report highlighted that industrial production during the first six months reached JD10.435.6 million. As part of efforts to bolster the sector, the second phase of the Industrial Support Fund program was launched, receiving 938 applications. The final results are expected to be announced by the end of the year.

The report also emphasized significant strides in promoting Jordanian pharmaceutical products both domestically and internationally. Among these initiatives was the approval of the 2024 Drug Testing Regulation, designed to enhance the global competitiveness of the Kingdom’s pharmaceutical industry.

Additionally, the Board of Directors of the Jordan Food and Drug Administration (JFDA) approved a draft regulation for pharmaceutical laboratories, with legislative procedures underway to ensure accreditation from the Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme (PICS).

In an effort to elevate the JFDA’s standing within the World Health Organization (WHO) evaluation, the 2024 Guidelines for Good Practice in Pharmaceutical Studies and Laboratory Tests were ratified, targeting a level (3) or higher rating. The JFDA has also approved key policies on quality, strategy formulation, conflict of interest, training, and governance to meet international inspection standards.

Further efforts include the formation of a National Committee for Research Ethics and Pharmaceutical Studies, aimed at securing a higher rating in WHO evaluations. The JFDA is also in the final stages of launching an updated database and platform for intellectual property data in the pharmaceutical sector. Additionally, a study is underway to revise the pricing guidelines for Jordanian pharmaceuticals.

The Productivity and Cost Competitiveness Improvement Project in the pharmaceutical sector has seen progress, with the government issuing a tender to automate registration, import, export, and pricing processes through the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship. A committee has been established to evaluate technical and financial bids for this project.

In the textiles sector, the government launched a project aimed at supporting the industry, signing a Memorandum of Understanding between the Chamber of Industry and the International Finance Corporation (IFC). Experts from IFC are conducting a feasibility study for the sector, which is part of a broader initiative to create an enabling environment for textiles and integrate vocational skills into school and industrial training programs.

The Industrial Observatory's second phase has been initiated to build a specialized database for various manufacturing sectors and develop corresponding strategies. Coordination is ongoing with the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship to link the observatory with relevant data sources, including the Department of Statistics.

In the trade sector, the progress report notes that the government has linked the price observatory for goods and services to the Customs Department's database and is working on integrating it with the Department of Statistics' database. Additionally, a draft e-commerce law has been prepared, and related regulations have been updated. The National Executive Committee for the E-commerce Strategy recently convened to discuss recommendations from the legal team on e-commerce regulations. Petra