What is the problem of and what is the solution for the
Jordan rail project? This is being asked by many for very different reasons
because rail is essential for all economic activities and subsequent social mobility.
اضافة اعلان
Despite the strategic importance of the rail network for the economic
growth and development of the country, the project has been accumulating stacks
of papers and resultant broken promises, with no tangible results. More of the
same is no longer acceptable.
Although the Jordanian Investment Fund Law No. 16 of the year 2016
stipulated exclusive rights for the Fund to develop the rail, no tangible
results are visible yet. The rationale for this exclusivity was to bypass all “perceived
obstacles” and to “fast track” the construction of the national rail network
with Saudi-Jordanian investment. The Saudi Jordanian Investment Fund Company (SJIF),
which was established in 2017 under the articles of this law which is supposed
to invest in infrastructure projects, including the rail, has not done so yet
despite being operational for the past five years. Nothing was "fast tracked".
Since the investment clouds have not rained rails so far, we probably need to think of seeding other clouds to complement or replace the existing
ones. For whatever reasons, SJIF moved on to other investments and it is not
clear whether it will continue with the Aqaba – Maan (then Amman) stretch of the
rail network.
… The national rail remains one of the most important projects, if not the most important, for the sustainable revival of the economy, economic development, equitable distribution of opportunities, women economic empowerment, environmental protection, and competitiveness.
In 2019, the US, the EU, Australia,
Japan and Canada contributed a total of $2,393,673 to
Jordan. This money was spent on a variety of important projects, some of which were agreed upon with the government of Jordan, while others were driven by donors’
agenda and priorities, which may be important, but are not necessarily
priorities for Jordan.
By all
measures, the national rail remains one of the most important projects, if not
the most important, for the sustainable revival of the economy, economic
development, equitable distribution of opportunities, women economic
empowerment, environmental protection, and competitiveness.
It is about
time that a donor fund for the construction of the Jordan rail be formed
jointly with a consortium of rail companies of major donor countries such as the US, Germany, France, and Japan. The government of Jordan, based on its
priorities, would reallocate donor funds per priority to the “Jordan Rail
Fund”. This will be the most significant economic empowerment project for
Jordan, with meaningful, direct and positive impact on people's lives.
Our biggest
challenge today is economic, and at its core are the astronomical unemployment
figures. The rail network project would help alleviate this pressure and
preserve social cohesion.
The writer is chairman of NAMA Strategic Intelligence Solutions.
[email protected]
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