Meeting of the Public Services Committee in the Senate

The Public Services Committee in the Senate, chaired by Senator Dr. Mustafa Al-Hamarneh, discussed with the Minister of Public Works and Housing, Engineer Maher Abu Al-Samen, the work plans of the ministry and its affiliated departments.

This took place during a committee meeting attended by the Acting Secretary-General of the Ministry of Public Works, Engineer Jamal Qteishat, the Director-General of the Public Housing and Urban Development Corporation, Engineer Jomana Attyat, the Director-General of the Government Tenders Department, Engineer Mahmoud Khalifat, and a number of relevant directors within the ministry.

Senator Al-Hamarneh stated that the public works sector constitutes 5% of the gross domestic product, according to the Department of Statistics, highlighting the importance of the sector as a major employer for over 150 supporting professions, involving tens of thousands of workers, most of whom are Jordanian laborers.

He pointed out that the ministry's strategic plan aims to improve the quality of government services provided to citizens by addressing various challenges through the implementation and evaluation of the ministry's executive plan, which the ministry relied on in implementing Jordan Vision 2025.

Al-Hamarneh explained that the committee holds regular meetings with the ministry in its oversight capacity and within a specific timeframe to follow up on the ministry's strategic plan for 2021-2025, the reform matrix prepared by the Ministry of Public Works, and the strategic plan of the Public Housing and Urban Development Corporation.

For his part, Abu Al-Samen stated that the ministry's mission is to connect cities, villages, population and economic centers, and neighboring countries with a network of safe and high-quality roads, ensuring their sustainability and improving traffic safety.

He emphasized that the ministry is continuously working to develop the construction sector by adopting and applying the best modern practices and technologies that keep pace with global developments, creating pioneering government buildings that support national and developmental goals, and ensuring the safety and well-being of employees, clients, and visitors by adopting and implementing the best global standards.

Engineer Qteishat, in turn, stated that the ministry's priorities for 2024-2026, within the new strategy and plans, include rehabilitating, maintaining, and sustaining the road network across the Kingdom, implementing and maintaining agricultural and rural roads to serve production sites, and providing traffic safety standards on roads.

Additionally, the priorities include completing a road network development program to contribute to achieving development, increasing the number of buildings that meet service and economic standards, and improving the performance of border centers and crossings to provide services in line with international standards.

Qteishat affirmed the ministry's commitment to aligning its strategy with the outcomes of the Economic Modernization Vision by achieving excellence in service sectors, aiming to support national development and increase service exports at both regional and global levels.

Engineer Attyat, for her part, presented the challenges facing HUDC, most notably the rising land prices, the lack of suitable treasury lands for housing projects, high interest rates, the reluctance of some banks to provide credit facilities to the target group, high inflation rates, rising raw material prices, and increased labor costs in construction.