On the occasion of the High-level Mission visit to Jordan of  the EU Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn and key European and International Financial Institutions (AFD, EBRD, EIB, IFC, IMF, KfW, WB and DFID), Jordan Strategy Forum and the European Union organized a discussion session entitled “Jordan’s Reform Plan: A Private Sector Perspective”

Hahn said that his visit aimed to reaffirm and coordinate international support for Jordan, and to discuss support to the government’s reform efforts presented during the London initiative in February.  The EU commissioner also stressed the importance of the JSF roundtable in pinpointing key challenges and business opportunities, and hearing the private sector’s opinions on the Kingdom’s reform plans. 

During the meeting, JSF CEO Ibrahim Saif highlighted the session’s role in providing the EU with the private sector’s viewpoint on the status quo of Jordan’s business environment. “The session was held as part of JSF efforts to establish dialogue between the public and private sectors, as well as visiting international institutions”, Saif explained. “Priority sectors have the potential to spur economic growth, given the implementation of vital projects and initiatives in cooperation with the private sector”, noted Saif.

He also underscored that enablers such as sustainable financial and IT services, a stable legislative environment, adequate infrastructure and a “flexible” capital of human resources are essential to the performance of the sectors in question.

Participants discussed the challenges facing the business environment in Jordan, and highlighted potential investment opportunities and means of partnerships between the public and private sectors that can create inclusive growth.

The EU delegation stressed the need to translate policies into practical action, pointing to a number of studies that have already diagnosed the status quo and the requirements of transitioning into the implementation phase