Day: November 18, 2021

Minister of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship, Ahmed Hanandeh, on Thursday inaugurated Google Cloud Solutions Conference, which saw participation of a number of IT managers from Jordanian companies and institutions.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Regional Head of Google Partnerships in Middle East & North Africa, Qais Momani, said the event aims to introduce Jordanian companies to Google’s cloud solutions and their importance to improve data processing.

CEO at iCloud Solutions, Ahmed Eid, said his company “always works” jointly with authorities and companies in the region during the digital transformation, which has become necessary, in light of the Covid-19 crisis, reliance on remote work and efforts to meet users’ digital needs.

In turn, iCloud Solutions regional director in Jordan, Mohammad Kurdi, said Royal directives to the government focus on stimulating the government and private sectors to keep pace with the rapid technological development and highlighting the role of cloud computing by providing “appropriate and effective” solutions to improve companies’ performance.

At the end of the conference, Hanandeh handed over shields to a number of companies in appreciation of their related efforts.

Source: Jordan News Agency

A delegation from the Libyan Islamic Bank (LIB) on Thursday visited Amman Stock Exchange (ASE), as part of the delegation’s tour to a number of Jordanian economic and financial institutions.

ASE CEO, Mazen Wathaifi, reviewed the most important developments witnessed by Jordan’s stock market over recent years, and the ASE’s “key” projects and plans.

Wathaifi said ASE offers many investment opportunities, affirming the importance of enhancing cooperation and contact among Jordanian and Libyan monetary and financial bodies, which would serve their common goals and the two brotherly countries’ interests.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Head of the Clearance Companies Owners Syndicate (CCOS), Daifallah Abu Aqoula, called for solving the obstacles facing the sector at Jordan’s border crossings.

In a statement on Thursday, Abu Aqoula said his discussions with Director General of Jordan Customs, Jalal Qudah, focused on clearance obstacles at border crossings, especially in Square No. 4 in the port of Aqaba.

Abu Aqoula said inbound goods should be inspected at the target customs centers instead of borders, in a way that facilitates commodity delivery and avoids delays or damage.

Companies also suffer hardships due to the lack of sufficient workers at the port of Aqaba to inspect the incoming trucks, he said.

To solve the port’s clearance problems, he called for employing 180 additional workers, and training staff to deal with sensitive and expensive commodities.

On the other hand, Abu Aqoula said failure of the Land Transport Regulatory Authority (LTRA) to grant permits to empty Syrian trucks at the Jaber crossing to load Syrian goods has disrupted work and increased costs.

This situation comes in light of a severe shortage of trucks, and the reluctance of Jordanian trucks to go to areas far inside Syrian territory, allowing a few to load goods to Jordan, he pointed out.

To better revive border trade flow, he demanded reviewing fees imposed on loaded Jordanian trucks, Syrian cars, and fees for transit goods.

Source: Jordan News Agency

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) lauded a US$ 16.8-million contribution from Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) to assist Syrian refugees in Jordan and to support nutrition programmes for women and children in Pakistan.

The contribution, signed in Rome by WFP Executive Director David Beasley and KSrelief’s Supervisor-General, Abdullah Al Rabeeah, comes as WFP struggles to secure funds to continue supporting some 465,000 vulnerable refugees in Jordan – most of them from Syria – and assisting more than 66,000 of the most vulnerable children and women in Pakistan, according to a statement by the WFP’s office in Amman.

Out of the donation, US$12.8 million, will be allocated to help meet the monthly food needs of 112,000 Syrian refugees living in camps in Jordan for four months; and US$ 4 million will support WFP’s nutrition programmes in 14 of the most vulnerable districts of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) provinces, the statement noted.

“Building on our long-lasting and strong partnership with WFP, KSrelief reconfirms its commitment to join hands with WFP to address food insecurity and improve the health and living conditions of vulnerable communities around the world”, said Al Rabeeah, speaking from Rome where he addressed the opening session of WFP’s Executive Board meeting.

For his part, Beasley said: “The COVID-19 pandemic and its devastating economic fallout have pushed the most vulnerable communities in Jordan and Pakistan deeper into poverty, as many of them are struggling to survive day-to-day and cannot cope without assistance.”

Source: Jordan News Agency

The Jordan Enterprise Development Corporation (JEDCO) and the Trade for Employment (T4E) project concluded Thursday a program to support 27 industrial companies to increase exports by leveraging e-commerce and virtual marketplaces, at estimated cost of 200,000 euros.

The program is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Dutch government.

During a closing ceremony, the Executive Director of the JEDCO, Abdel Fattah Kayed, who filled in for the Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply, said that the difficult challenges facing the Kingdom in light of global economic developments highlight the urgent need to enhance the competitive capabilities of the local private sector.

“We, as a government, are fully aware of the most important issues facing the industry sector,” he said, noting that work is underway to mitigate the financial and economic ramifications of the COVID-19 breakout and address the decline in export activity. The Jordanian government is committed to providing a swift and flexible response in accordance with the emerging needs of companies, he pointed out.

He pointed out that the government is proud of its partnership with the private sector and international donor and implementing agencies, which support Jordan’s efforts and national plans to stimulate many different economic sectors and achieve more growth and increase industrial employment opportunities through e-commerce and virtual markets.

Kayed indicated that the corporation has provided unconventional solutions to support the export capabilities of industrial companies to enable them to overcome challenges, in addition to facilitating the registration of local companies’ products in electronic stores, thus expanding the customer base and implementing the electronic sales process locally and internationally to promote national products.

Cordula Millhart, Development Cooperation Officer at the German Embassy, said that the support provided through the Trade for Employment project to implement this initiative comes within the framework of the multiple efforts of technical support provided by the German government to address the repercussions of the pandemic in Jordan.

Operational Project Coordinator, Stephen Arber, said that, this cooperation backs 27 industrial companies to register on electronic platforms, which allow them to sell and export. He pointed out that experts on exports and e-commerce were brought in to provide training and guidance to companies on issues related to sales and marketing on virtual markets, in line with the vision and objectives of the project.

Source: Jordan News Agency