Jordan Times
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
Administrative development,
reforms at the core of upcoming reshuffle — Fayez
AMMAN (Petra) — Prime Minister Faisal Fayez on Monday said the country's Islamic
movement was not being targeted and there were no external pressures on Jordan
to act against Islamists.
The premier stressed that the government would not allow any group to exceed
limits and violate the national constants, stressing that no one would be
allowed to classify others as traitors or infidels.
During a meeting with members of the Islamic Action Front (IAF) and the Watan
(homeland) parliamentary bloc in the context of consultation and coordination
before the upcoming Cabinet reshuffle, Fayez said anyone who uses such rhetoric
would be prosecuted.
The premier stressed that administrative reform and the restructuring of
institutions and ministries would not be at the expense of citizens' social and
job security, adding that the envisaged reforms would not affect political and
economic development.
He said the Civil Service Bureau would remain in place and is not targeted for
abolishment under the reforms.
Fayez pointed out that upgrading services offered to citizens by the government,
transparency and putting an end to inefficiency, bureaucracy and red tape, are
the pillars of administrative reform.
He said the focus on administrative reform does not mean that the government has
abandoned its plans to achieve comprehensive development in other sectors.
But administrative development and reforms are at the core of the upcoming
reshuffle, Fayez said, adding that merged ministries would be dismantled after
the experiment proved a failure and a heavy burden on the ministers holding the
portfolios.
Under the reshuffle, Fayez said, 10 new ministers would join the Cabinet while
two new ministries will be created: The Public Sector Development Ministry and
the Government Performance Monitoring Ministry.
The Monitoring Ministry, the premier said, will have nothing to do with the work
of the Lower House.