Jordan Times
Monday, September 13, 2004
ASEZA rearranging internal
affairs — Dahabi
There is also a need for laws and regulations to expedite investment
AQABA (Petra) — The Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) is reflecting
on and reviewing its internal affairs to get rid of the negative aspects and
consolidate the positive steps in order to rearrange its work, ASEZA Chief
Commissioner Nader Dahabi told members of Parliament on Sunday.
During a meeting with deputies from the democratic coalition bloc to discuss
ASEZA's operations, Dahabi indicated that the public, in general, and observers
had built high hopes and expectations at the time ASEZA was first launched.
But, in light of the modest achievements posted in the little time that has
passed since then, some people began to feel somewhat frustrated, he remarked.
“A large project such as ASEZA, which is set to achieve its objectives by 2020,
needs a lot of patience and consolidation of the potentials available to achieve
the desired goals,” he explained.
Such objectives cannot be achieved overnight, Dahabi told the deputies, pointing
out that in order to achieve these targets, several steps and plans have to be
implemented over a long period of time.
There is also a need for a set of laws and regulations, to expedite the
investment process, Dahabi remarked.
Referring to the justifications for setting up a company for developing Aqaba as
an executive arm for ASEZA, the chief commissioner said that the authority has
the right to establish companies to implement its strategic plans, pointing out
that the company's main task was to focus on the development of Aqaba's
infrastructure, the city's port and international airport.
Deputy Mamdouh Abbadi highlighted the Lower House's legislative role, stressing
that ASEZA has several projects to look into and to make speedy decisions to
implement them, including the transfer of the Aqaba Port to the southern beach
and to expedite steps to connect Aqaba with the resort city of Taba and to help
ease the flow and the movement of goods and people between Jordan and Egypt.
Deputy Chief Commissioner Emad Fakhouri briefed the deputies on the investment
projects launched at the zone during the past three years noting that they
provided around 8,000 job opportunities at a cost of $1 billion, mainly in the
tourism services and facilities.
Fakhouri also indicated that the construction rate at the port city of Aqaba
also rose during the last year by 800 per cent compared to that of 2001, prior
to ASEZA's establishment.
Over 300 institutions were registered at ASEZA during the past three years, he
pointed out, adding that ASEZA granted a total of 337 leasing land permits to
investors to launch investment projects at the zone.