Jordan Times
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Gov't has clear strategy to address poverty, unemployment — Badran
AMMAN (Petra) — Prime Minister Adnan Badran on
Monday said the government has a clear strategy to address the issues of poverty
and unemployment and its results would be visible within the next few years.
During a meeting with a delegation from the National Coalition for Combating
Poverty yesterday, the premier referred to a project to allocate state-owned
land for housing projects to benefit limited-income segments of the population
in the Kingdom.
In June this year, His Majesty King Abdullah announced a plan designed to
provide housing units for limited-income citizens at reasonable prices and said
he had issued directives to the government to study the issue thoroughly.
The government set up a higher committee for the purpose that met on Sunday and
set the criteria for the distribution of state-owned land worth JD12 million
among eligible citizens.
On Sunday, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, quoted Minister of Public Works and
Housing Yousef Hiasat as saying that the first group of plots is expected to be
distributed to beneficiaries next year. Criteria for eligibility include the
size of the family income, while potential beneficiaries are required to present
documented evidence that they do not already own real estate, according to the
minister.
Referring to the government's efforts to reduce unemployment, the premier said
programmes would be activated for training Jordanians to replace foreign
workers.
He also referred to measures to be taken to control the influx of foreign
workers and impose fines on employers who are found in violation of labour laws.
The premier cited other measures to train university graduates to create job
opportunities for them in the Gulf states.
Badran said the government would also reactivate the agricultural sector to play
a key role in alleviating unemployment, stressing the need to change the
existing culture of shame in society.