Ammon News - Minister of Labor Khaled Bakkar emphasized the government's commitment to supporting investors and sustaining their businesses to promote economic development and increase employment opportunities for Jordanians.

During a meeting on Sunday at the Tafilah Chamber of Commerce Hall, Bakkar highlighted the ministry's focus on fostering a genuine partnership between the public and private sectors.

The minister’s visit, part of a field tour that included the Tafilah Industrial City, aimed to strengthen engagement with investors and review initiatives to regulate the labor market. Bakkar outlined measures to address issues involving non-Jordanian workers, including a 60-day window opened last year to allow employers to regularize the status of non-Jordanian workers in violation of the Labor Law.

Bakkar explained that these measures are part of the government's broader vision of economic modernization and sustainable growth, which aims to create job opportunities for Jordanians. He noted that the ministry's goal is not punitive but rather to organize the labor market effectively, adding that 300,000 valid work permits had been issued, though approximately 30,000 non-Jordanian workers remain in violation of regulations.

The minister emphasized that the national employment program, which provides wage support exclusively for Jordanian workers in the private sector, plays a critical role in achieving these objectives. He urged employers to utilize this program to address labor shortages while contributing to national economic goals.

In a related development, Bakkar also visited the Tafilah Industrial City, where he met with investors to discuss the impact of recent government-approved incentives and exemptions under the Development Zones Law.

Munir Zureikat, the city director, noted that the city's support services and strategic measures have significantly enhanced its competitiveness, attracting diverse industrial sectors and generating new job opportunities for the local population.

The Tafilah Industrial City, built on an area of 1,000 dunums with 500 dunums under development, already includes ready-made industrial buildings spanning 10,000 square meters.

Zureikat projected that more factories would be established in the city in the coming phase, fueled by the government’s incentives and policies aimed at boosting industrial investments. Petra