Government working to gradually resume production cycle

Government working to gradually resume production cycle The Jordan Strategy Forum (JSF) on Friday hosted Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Tareq Hammouri in a teleconference meeting that brought together members of the forum to discuss the latest economic developments of the coronavirus crisis and its impact on the Jordanian economy. Hammouri, during the session titled “Resuming production and employment: The challenges and priorities of the next stage”, said that the government has been keen on prioritising the continuation of the production of vital goods, including medical materials, sterilisers, bread and basic foodstuffs, while also ensuring the continuity of essential industrial and agricultural sector operations. The government, taking into consideration the Kingdom’s epidemiological situation, is working on the gradual resumption of the production cycle, he added, highlighting that the measures to open various sectors are being addressed in coordination with the epidemiological committee and related bodies. Highlighting that the speed at which production is resumed is linked to the development of the epidemiological situation in the Kingdom, Hammouri said that the process will be subject to clear criteria to ensure public health and safety. The government's measures are aimed at striking a balance between alleviating the economic impact of the crisis and ensuring public health, he noted. Ibrahim Saif, the CEO of JSF, said that the meeting is an opportunity to launch a “resuming production and employment” platform designated to contribute to enhancing the Kingdom’s economy and business sector. Through this platform, the forum will issue a series of reports and recommendations within three axes, the first of which includes the labour market and legal aspects related to employment, as well as recommendations and solutions to support companies in retaining workers and find opportunities for those who lost their jobs due to the crisis. The second axis involves finding “practical” ways to restore the production cycle and companies’ work through guaranteed financing mechanisms. The third axis seeks to propose creative solutions to transform the challenges posed by the crisis into opportunities and to explore avenues for public-private partnerships.