Jordan Times
Wednesday, March 24, 2004
US grants Jordan $138.5 million
AMMAN (JT) — The US on Tuesday granted Jordan $138.5 million in economic assistance, a statement by the embassy in Amman said.The cash transfer agreement, signed yesterday by Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Bassem Awadallah, US Ambassador Edward W. Gnehm and USAID Mission Director Anne Aarnes, will help Jordan reduce its foreign debt burden, boost foreign exchange reserves and fund development projects, according to the statement.
Under the deal, an additional $525,000 will also be “made available” to help the Kingdom implement, monitor and evaluate the cash transfer agreement.
Administered by USAID, the US has budgeted $348.5 million this year in economic assistance to Jordan, which received more than $2.3 billion in aid in the past decade, said the statement.
Another $100 million is expected to be granted to Jordan later in 2004 under the US assistance programme.
The embassy said the grant will support the Socio-Economic Transformation Plan, help train unemployed citizens, renovate public schools and introduce information technology into their classrooms and tackle water shortage problems.
Gnehm told the Jordan News Agency, Petra, that his country is committed to aid Jordan and support bilateral relations.