AMMAN — As part of its drive to modernize
the public sector, the government is making structural adjustments to the labor
sector, abolishing the Ministry of Labor and transferring its tasks and duties
to other ministries, Al-Mamlaka TV reported.
اضافة اعلان
His Majesty King Abdullah stressed that the
objective of modernizing the public sector is to improve services offered to
citizens, and bolster the efficiency of public administration. He urged
coordination among state institutions to ensure the implementation of the
modernization roadmap, which includes in its first phase an action plan for the
years 2022–2025.
The Committee to Modernize the Public Sector, chaired
by Prime Minister Bisher Al-Khasawneh, is starting its work immediately to
introduce the changes, which are expected to ease bureaucracy, nepotism, and
red tape at various public offices.
Minister of Planning and International Cooperation
Nasser Shraideh said that “the government will work on establishing a ministry
for unifying government’s discourse.” He said that the road map outlines the
government’s ambition to unify public sector institutions.
Under the plan, which was released by the government
on Sunday, the duties and tasks of the Ministry of Labor will be handed over to
the ministries of industry, trade and supply, interior, education, and human
resources development.
The process is scheduled to be completed in two
years.
Pundits, however, voiced concern over the abolition
of the ministry, saying it may lead to a mess in the labor market and that the
timing of the change is inappropriate, considering rising unemployment and
poverty. The Ministry of Labor supervises and organizes the work market.
Taking a broader look at the expected changes,
pundits also sounded the alarm that the changes may not come easy, as some
forces may hamper the change, fearing that it could undermine their clout in
society.
The
Ministry of Labor includes 19 directorates and
units on its Amman premises, along with 19 directorates in all governorates,
and has 701 employees.
His Majesty King Abdullah stressed that the objective of modernizing the public sector is to improve services offered to citizens, and bolster the efficiency of public administration.
The government is working to regulate the Jordanian
business environment and the labor market by transferring the National
Employment Program and its tasks to the
Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Supply
between 2022 and 2024.
The government is also set to abolish the Vocational
Training Corporation and transfer its tasks to the Ministry of Education and
Human Resources Development, during the same period.
The new structural
amendments also work on regulating issues related to expatriate workers by
transferring the tasks of issuing work permits, inspecting and recording
violations to the Ministry of Interior.
As part of the restructuring process, the presidency
of the Board of Directors of the Development and Employment Fund and the Social
Security Corporation will be transferred to the Industry Ministry.
According to the plan, the government will also
carry out structural adjustments to the social services sector, during which
the Ministry of Youth will merge with the Ministry of Culture to become one
ministry to be called the Ministry of Culture and Youth, according to
Al-Mamlaka TV.
The merger is expected to be completed during
2022–2023.
In the course of the next two years, the government
will also evaluate the model of Prince Hamzah Hospital to make the necessary
improvements and apply it wherever possible to the rest of the hospitals, in
addition to developing the hospitals’ management.
During 2022–2024, the government will also review
the transformation of the Higher Health Council into a supervisory body for the
health sector in both the public and private sectors.
Additionally, the state will transfer the duties of
care homes for the elderly and individuals with severe disabilities from the
Ministry of Social Development to the Ministry of Health.
In the infrastructure services sector, the
government will make adjustments, most notably is merging the Ministry of
Transport with the Ministry of Public Works and Housing.
The new ministry will be called the Ministry of
Infrastructure Services. The change is expected to be implemented between 2022
and 2024.
Additionally, the duties of the Jordanian Maritime
Commission will be transferred to the
Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority,
while the responsibilities of the Housing and Urban Development Corporation
will be removed from the Ministry of Public Works and Housing and handed over
to the Ministry of Local Administration.
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