Jordan Times
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
King orders strategy to ‘revive’ IT
AMMAN (Petra) — King Abdullah on Monday instructed representatives of the information and communications technology (ICT)
in the private and public sectors to draw a strategy to “revive” the industry.
“The ICT sector should continue on the right track that started eight years ago,” the King told a meeting of ICT officials
at Bait Al Urdon.
“The future of this industry is a future for Jordan and its position on the international ICT map.”
He ordered the Information Technology Association of Jordan (int@j), the Ministry of Information and Communications
Technology and the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission to prepare the strategy in two weeks.
The strategy, to be submitted to the King, should include a report on challenges facing the industry and suggested
solutions, set an action plan and specify duties and roles of ICT bodies. The Monarch said his vision to enhance education
should be part of the strategy, stressing the importance of government support for local ICT companies.
Meanwhile, int@j CEO Marwan Jumaa spoke about challenges facing the industry, including high taxes, inadequate research and
development and lack of support of consecutive governments.
An ICT industry-support association with more than 143 members and various ICT activities, int@j largely contributes to
influencing related policies and strategies in Jordan.
He called on the government to back local ICT firms.
For his part, Minister of Information and Communications Technology Bassem Roussan briefed the meeting on government
efforts to advance the ICT industry and plans to reduce the sales tax for Internet centres to 5 per cent from 16 per cent.