AMMAN — A recently published report issued by the US
Congressional Research Center shows that the cash transfers provided by the US
to Jordan are the largest of the budget support granted to any recipient of US
foreign aid worldwide, according to media outlets.
اضافة اعلان
The report
indicates that the US provides economic aid to Jordan in order to support the
budget (cash transfer),
USAID programs in Jordan, and loan guarantees.
It says that US
cash assistance is being provided to help the Kingdom pay off foreign debts,
support Syrian refugees, and lower the cost of imported fuel. US budget support
(excluding military aid) to Jordan represents 6 percent of the Kingdom’s total
annual budget.
The report
states that the US is one of Jordan’s major partners, and that the two
countries have cooperated on a number of regional and international issues.
It also
indicates that US officials frequently express their support for Jordan, noting
that US assistance has helped Jordan address serious weaknesses, both internal
and external, and that the ongoing instability in neighboring Syria and Iraq
increases Jordan’s strategic importance to the US.
It states that
Jordan has been receiving more than $1.87 billion annually in additional
military aid since the fiscal year 2015, channeled through the Ministry of
Defense’s various security assistance accounts.
US aid to Jordan
represents more than 40 percent of the total official aid the Kingdom receives
annually, the report adds.
For the fiscal
year 2023, the US President
Joe Biden’s administration has requested $1.45
billion in total bilateral aid, making Jordan the second-largest targeted
recipient of annual US foreign aid.
Israel is the
largest recipient of US aid in the world, followed by Jordan. However, Jordan
comes first in terms of US aid directed to support the budget.
Last September,
the US and Jordan signed the fourth memorandum of understanding governing US
foreign aid to Jordan. The seven-year agreement (FY2023–FY2029) commits $1.45
billion in annual economic and military assistance to Jordan.
The report says:
“Compared to the previous memorandum of understanding, this fourth memorandum
of understanding is higher by 13.7 percent annually and lasts for seven fiscal
years instead of five years and represents the largest multi-year
US foreign
aid commitment ($10.15 billion over seven years) to the Kingdom.”
It adds that
with the rise in global oil prices and the return of international tourism, the
Jordanian economy has performed better in 2022 than originally expected. GDP
growth for the current year is now expected to reach 2.7 percent (up from the
previous forecast of 2.4 percent).
Despite this
somewhat more positive outlook, economists remain concerned about Jordan’s
sovereign debt burden (114 percent of GDP in 2021).
Read more Business
Jordan News
.jpg)
.jpg)
