Economic growth in 2017 on July 31, 2017According to a recent report by the World Bank, Jordan’s economic growth rate in 2017 is estimated to be 2.3 per cent. In the first instance, I did not like this figure, especially when the budget address to Parliament adopted the IMF figure revealed last year, which was 3.3 per cent. Perhaps the IMF did […]
Early indicators of economic reform progress on May 29, 2017Most recent data by the Ministry of Finance indicates that Jordan’s gross domestic debt has risen during the first quarter of this year by JD76 million only. The government has withdrawn JD100.4 million from its deposits with banks, which raised net public debt to JD176.4 million. Data shows also that foreign debt rose during the […]
Jordans economic plan for 2017 on May 1, 2017The economic reform programme agreed upon with the IMF was formulated during the first half of 2016 and is due to be implemented starting in the second half of the year. Therefore, 2017 is the first full year under reform. This year’s programme calls for economic growth rate to be 3.3 per cent in constant […]
Jordans economic plan for 2017 on May 1, 2017The economic reform programme agreed upon with the IMF was formulated during the first half of 2016 and is due to be implemented starting in the second half of the year. Therefore, 2017 is the first full year under reform. This year’s programme calls for economic growth rate to be 3.3 per cent in constant […]
Fluidity around the poverty line on April 10, 2017The World Bank claimed in a recent report that one third of the Jordanian population may fall below the poverty line within a year. This unpleasant statement caused worry, even though there is nothing new about it. The statement calls attention to a possibility, but it does not necessarily mean that it will actually happen. […]
Foreign debt is risky on March 13, 2017Our officials and economists are used to account for public debt as one amount, irrespective of whether it is local debt, denominated in Jordanian dinars, or external debt, denominated in foreign currency. Strangely enough, IMF experts also dealt with Jordan’s public debt as one block, without distinguishing between local debt in dinars and foreign debt […]
Debt reduction a practical objective on February 27, 2017 Nothing in the government’s plans for 2016 or in economic reform programme agreed upon with the IMF said that Jordan’s public debt, in absolute figures, must be reduced in 2016. As a matter of fact, the programme is dealing with debt not in absolute figures, but as a percentage of the GDP. All what […]
Towards financial self-sufficiency on February 20, 2017At this time, when external grants receivable by the Treasury, whether Arab or foreign, are on the decline, Jordan may have no choice but to adopt a policy of financial self-sufficiency, accompanied by all the suffering that may go with such an adjustment. Self-sufficiency is nice and acceptable as a slogan. No one would object […]