Nayrouz News Agency : During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jordan has employed 1,100 Jordanians and attracted 52 new investments in the industrial, tourist, health and ICT sectors with a total investment volume of JD50 million, Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Omar Razzaz said on Wednesday. 

During a visit to the Jordan Investment Commission (JIC), Razzaz said that the turnout on the recently issued Eurobonds was six times the volume of the underwriting amount and they came with a lower interest rate than expected, which is "probably the lowest interest rate ever gained by the Kingdom", the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The prime minister also said that the private sector "has suffered from immense challenges" throughout the world, adding: "The challenge now is to overcome these difficulties and hunt for main opportunities that surfaced during the crisis, with the private sector needing to approach them as investments.”

According to JIC President Khalid Wazani, this visit — Razzaz's fourth to the commission — highlights the government's interest in the commission's incentives and facilities offered to investors.

The JIC has witnessed 905 new projects and expansions of existing establishments over the past six months, Wazani said, noting that 52 new schemes were announced during the March-June period at a total investment volume of more than $50 million, which created 1,100 jobs nationwide.

This meeting highlighted the importance of confidence in the Jordanian economy and of moving forward from the recovery phase into the full resilience stage in investments, as well as beginning to realise revenues from investments in the Kingdom.