Jordan Times
Tuesday, August 31, 2004
'Poverty drops to 14.2 %'
A Planning Ministry report shows the number of poor citizens down from 943,000
in 1997 to 733,000 in 2002
By Dalya Dajani
AMMAN — The government on Monday said the poverty rate in the Kingdom dropped
from 21.3 per cent in 1997 to 14.2 per cent in 2002.
The figures presented during yesterday's regular weekly press briefing
highlighted the latest findings on poverty indicators over the five-year period.
According to the report, the number of poor Jordanians dropped from 943,000 in
1997 to 733,000 in 2002.
The report, prepared by the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation
and international experts, was based on data from the Department of Statistic's
2002/2003 Household and Expenditure Survey.
Minister of State and Government Spokesperson Asma Khader, accompanied by
Hussein Shakhatreh, head of the department, and Hmoud Eleimat, Ministry of
Social Development secretary general, briefed the media on the report, which
said the annual per capita income rose from JD366 in 1997 to JD392 in 2002.
At the same time, the severity of poverty dropped from 2 per cent in 1997 to 1.1
per cent in 2002, according to the report.
Comparing governorates, the level of poverty in 2002 was found to be highest in
Amman at JD419 per capita annually, with the lowest level in Mafraq and Ajloun
at JD360. In 1997, the level of poverty was highest in Amman at JD393 per capita
a year and lowest in Mafraq at JD330.
Citing the figures, Khader said the government has been taking concrete steps to
address poverty and unemployment through a broad range of policies and
development programmes across the Kingdom over the past few years.
She added that the scientific findings would provide experts with essential data
for more efficient targeting, planning and allocation of resources for programme
development.
The government began work on the poverty assessment study early last year to
provide a more thorough examination of living conditions among poor Jordanians.
The methodology used for the study relied on the Actual Food Consumption
patterns of the sampled segment of citizens rather than the previous form of the
Constructed Food Basket. The latter is based on what experts believe the poor
need to satisfy their basic caloric intake.
The government commissioned experts to draw up a “poverty map” that examines
more deeply the living conditions of citizens at district and sub-district
levels.
Eleimat said the survey incorporated wider socio-economic parameters and more
than doubled the number of households sampled, to 13,000 from that of the 1997
survey.
Ibrahim Hejoj, a Planning Ministry adviser on poverty, told The Jordan Times
that chronically poor citizens represented 4 per cent of the population, or 29
per cent of the poor.
“On the other hand, the transient poor represent 71 per cent of the poor, or
10.2 per cent of the population,” Hejoj said. According to the expert, the
report's surveyors identified 20 poverty pockets mostly concentrated in the
northeastern governorates of Zarqa and Mafraq.
Hejoj noted that the incidence of poverty, however, was deepest in the 13
localities, which include Ruweished, Wadi Araba, Duleil, Slehiyya, Deir Al Khaf,
Al Jafr, Mreigha, Azraq and Ghuwaira.
The government redirected its focus last year on developing a new generation of
programmes that target inequality and empower the poor through job training
schemes.
Although the concept was to veer from the heavy reliance on traditional safety
nets, the programme of linking National Aid Fund (NAF) beneficiaries to training
has not fully covered all those in need as efficient tracking of the poor is not
present and work opportunities are not always available in the vicinity.
Head of the NAF, Mahmoud Kafaween, said the government along with NGOs were
working hard to address the problem of poverty with commitment to continue both
short- and long-term support to those unable to help themselves.
NAF currently provides monthly assistance to some 73,000 poor families at an
allocated budget of JD50 million this year.
The official added that a database was being developed to prevent duplication
and ensure that only eligible beneficiaries receive monthly assistance from the
agency's funds.
He said NAF was partnering with the Development and Employment Fund (DEF) to
enhance the productivity of NAF beneficiaries by serving as guarantor for those
taking loans from DEF to set up small businesses.
According to Kafaween, such cooperation would be beneficial, as it would also
help prevent duplication since both entities would be using a joint data bank.