Zarqa, June 21 (Petra) -- Prime Minister Jafar Hassan said Zarqa Governorate’s three-year development program, valued at more than JD800 million across all sectors, is "highly ambitious" and represents a development partnership between the government and the governorate’s representatives, including local bodies, senators, and deputies.
During a Sunday Cabinet session held at Zarqa, Hassan affirmed the government’s commitment to implementing the program within the designated timeframes and will be held accountable for its progress.
He identified healthcare, education, and public transportation as essential service sectors for Zarqa, saying the government would "prioritize" them, in line with directives issued by His Majesty King Abdullah II during his visit to the governorate last month.
Industry and employment represent the other side of development and form the foundation of the development process, Hassan said, adding that these sectors would receive "significant" attention, as well as other projects that are currently implemented by various ministries.
The governorate’s development plan includes 155 projects, of which 75 have been completed, he said, announcing overall implementation has reached 77 percent, with work continuing on the remaining projects.
Hassan said he had conducted field visits to more than 18 sites across Zarqa, adding that the government has plans and project proposals that will be announced and implemented soon.
In the healthcare sector, the prime minister said construction of the new Prince Faisal Hospital building in Russeifa is a priority. The tender has been awarded, preliminary work began several weeks ago, and the JD9 million project is scheduled for completion within three years.
In education, four new schools worth JD10 million have been completed, including two designed to accommodate approximately 1,000 students each. Work is also underway on seven large schools costing JD15 million, while 500 additional classrooms will be built and more than 25 schools renovated.
As for transportation, Hassan said the Amman-Zarqa Bus Rapid Transit system has served more than 15 million passengers since operations began. Plans are in place to extend the service to the Hashemite University within four months to address transportation challenges facing students.
Hassan said the new Zarqa Industrial Estate, inaugurated by His Majesty the King last month, is the Kingdom’s largest industrial city and its first green industrial city. It will be developed in three phases, while the government works to enhance its attractiveness, accommodate investment, and create employment opportunities and industries suited to a city of its scale.
He added that a tender to supply the industrial city with natural gas was awarded last week and would be implemented in the coming period to facilitate the rapid launch of investments and increase the city’s appeal to investors.
Major strategic projects have a "significant" impact on the economy and employment opportunities across all governorates, not only in a particular governorate or region, Hassan said. He stressed the need for effective vocational training to prepare qualified workers capable of securing productive employment in these projects.
Addressing the national economy, Hassan said the government was optimistic that the economy was moving in the right direction despite regional challenges.
Hassan said economic growth was "accelerating," as figures related to economic indicators, exports, and the financial market showed improvement. He added that Jordan had "largely" contained the effects of inflation compared with neighboring countries and global levels.
Regarding the recent salary increase, Hassan said the decision was both necessary and consistent with the government’s commitments within its limited financial capacity. He said it would benefit many citizens, while the social protection network would continue supporting the largest possible number of targeted groups.
Commenting on the executions carried out today, Hassan stressed that attacks against security personnel and members of the Jordan Armed Forces "constitute a red line." "We will not allow any treacherous hand to target the personnel and officers of our security agencies, and we will apply the law without leniency against anyone who attacks them," he said.
Hassan said the implementation of the death penalty sent a clear message that would continue to be conveyed to anyone who attempts to attack members of the armed forces or security agencies.
He added that the government would work to amend the law to allow broader application of the death penalty against major drug dealers and smugglers working with foreign criminal gangs. The matter will be pursued in coordination with members of both chambers of Parliament, he said.
//Petra// AO
