Ammon – Today, Thursday, the Investment Council held a session chaired by Prime Minister Dr. Bishr Al-Khasawneh, during which it approved the general investment policy in the Kingdom and the investment promotion strategy for the years 2023-2026.
During the session, the Prime Minister stressed the need for the investment policy and investment promotion strategy to keep pace with the objectives of the vision of economic modernization, and to establish general directions to unify investment references, provide legislative stability, and create a stimulating environment for attracting investments and enabling existing ones.
He also stressed the need to network with the private sector as a key partner and contributor to promoting investment and identifying priority sectors and areas to direct attention towards.
The Prime Minister noted that the philosophy behind the formation of the Investment Council in its current composition is to represent all industrial, tourism, commercial, agricultural, services, and other sectors, stressing the importance of continuous communication with these sectors in order to set priorities and create opportunities to develop the investment environment.
In this regard, he directed the need for the Investment Board to hold intensive periodic meetings to discuss the opportunities available for investment in various sectors, and to study the ideas that are presented. In order to develop the investment environment.
Al-Khasawneh also stressed the need to raise the institutional capacities of the cadres of the Ministry of Investment and other ministries and institutions concerned with the investment sector. In a way that contributes to serving and facilitating investors, and creating investment opportunities.
During the session, the Prime Minister was briefed on the latest developments about the electronic platform (invest.jo) to be launched to serve as a gateway to communicate with investors, facilitate them and provide all information related to the investment environment in the Kingdom.
Al-Khasawneh pointed out the need to ensure that the platform includes as much content and information as possible for investors and those interested before its launch, including legislation, laws, data and statistics, in addition to presenting free trade agreements signed with many countries such as: the United States of America, the European Union and many other countries, and the advantages provided by these agreements, such as simplified rules of origin and others.
During the session, Minister of Investment Kholoud Al-Saqqaf gave a briefing on the general investment policy in the Kingdom, stressing that it aims to build a long-term relationship with local and foreign investors, in a way that benefits the economy by preserving and developing investment and building strong relationships and connections with local economic activities.
Al-Saqqaf indicated that the policy comes in line with the vision of economic modernization and government implementation programs and plans, with the aim of increasing the quality and volume of investments, and creating an attractive and enabling investment environment for investments in various economic sectors.
The Minister of Investment also presented the most prominent features of the investment promotion strategy for the years (2023-2026 AD), stressing that its outputs are in line with the outputs of the economic modernization vision, especially with regard to the targeted sectors.
Al-Saqqaf indicated that several consultative and periodic meetings were held with the concerned authorities and partners in the implementation of the strategy from the public and private sectors, and the observations of all concerned parties were taken into consideration before the implementation of the strategy.
The Council was briefed by the Minister of Investment on statistics showing the volume of total investments benefiting from the investment environment law in Jordan during the first quarter of the current year 2023 AD, which increased by (49.1%) to reach (288.5) million dinars compared to (193.5) million dinars during the first quarter. From last year 2022 AD.
And Al-Saqqaf indicated that the number of projects benefiting from the investment environment law amounted to (91) investment projects, with an expected labor force – according to studies submitted by investors – that will reach (3200) job opportunities, and the industrial sector has reaped the largest share of them, as the percentage of investment in it amounted to about ( 57% of the total investments, with an investment volume of (165.6) million dinars, followed by the services sector with (35%) and an investment volume of (100) million dinars, then the tourism sector with (6%) and an investment volume of (17.5) million dinars. The rest of the economic sectors and activities (such as hospitals, medical centers, information technology, research and development) accounted for (2%) of the total investment volume during this period.