Jordan Times
Monday, April 11, 2005
Seven ministerial teams to address range of issues
AMMAN (JT) — The new Cabinet formed seven
ministerial teams on Sunday to address a range of issues in the reform and other
government programmes, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.
The teams comprise ministers and other top officials.
Prime Minister Adnan Badran will head the economic task force, assisted by the
ministers of finance, energy and mineral resources, water and irrigation, and
planning and international cooperation, in addition to the head of the
Privatisation Commission and the Central Bank governor.
Another, much larger, committee was tasked with overseeing economic development.
Headed by Finance Minister Bassem Awadallah, it comprises 17 other ministers as
members and three senior officials and consultants. The minister whose portfolio
is concerned with an issue under discussion will be called to relevant meetings
of the committee.
Other panels include the Public Sector Reform Committee, headed by the minister
of state for government performance; the Higher Anti-Corruption Committee
chaired by the minister of state for legal affairs; and the Human Resources
Committee, led by the minister of education and higher education and scientific
research.
The minister of justice will head the Legal Committee. The Council of Ministers
set up a committee to handle public service appointments under the chairmanship
of the deputy prime minister for parliamentary affairs and minister of political
development.
The previous government of Faisal Fayez had formed four ministerial committees
tasked with addressing economic, political and legal development.
The four committees dealt with public reform, socio-economic development, which
was also headed by Awadallah, then holding the planning portfolio. Touqan also
kept the same position in the new government. During Fayez's tenure, he led the
human resources panel, too. There was also a legal committee during the former
government and Fayez and his team also addressed the issues of appointments,
particularly in higher categories, and corruption through lower-ranking bodies
reporting to the Council of Ministers.