The Jordan Enterprise Development Corporation (JEDCO), in cooperation with the Centre for Strategic Studies (CSS) at the University of Jordan, on Sunday launched the Jordan National Report of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM).  

The GEM was implemented by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

In his speech, Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply in the caretaker government and JEDCO Chairman Tareq Hammouri indicated the keenness of successive Jordanian governments to enhance Jordan’s economic competitiveness, according to a statement from the corporation.

Hamouri added that the importance of the GEM report is "reflected in the Jordanian government’s awareness, through its various institutions, in adopting the National Entrepreneurship Reports as a pioneering global study aimed at improving the understanding of entrepreneurship and promoting evidence-based supportive policies and programmes”.

"This was reflected positively and clearly as Jordan advanced in 2019 entrepreneurship activity index, ranking 34th globally,” he said.

Minister of Entrepreneurship and Digital Economy in the caretaker government Muthana Gharaibeh said in his speech that the main objective of this study was to assess the current situation of entrepreneurship and provide recommendations to decision-makers that could be translated into "strategic shifts” or interventions in policies related to entrepreneurship.

The report consists of two parts: The first includes a survey sample of 2,000 people across the Kingdom about their approaches towards entrepreneurship during 2019-2020.

The second part includes a survey of 36 local experts on the availability of a convenient environment to promote entrepreneurship in Jordan, which includes funding, government programmes and policies, education, training, research and development, commercial structure, opening of domestic markets, physical structure, culture and social habits, according to the statement.

JEDCO CEO Bashar Zu’bi, said that the report includes a wide range of information on various aspects such as existing and new businesses, the main factors that could encourage the start of new entrepreneurship in Jordan, and the main obstacles that affect the decision to establish new businesses in Jordan.

Bernd Kuzmits, head of Development Cooperation at the German embassy, said that the German government believes in the importance of implementing the study for its contribution to supporting the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Jordan. 

As a global tool for benchmarking countries in the field of entrepreneurship, the GEM will assist decision-makers in Jordan in making the right decisions in the field of entrepreneurship, the statement said.

"In the long term, we hope that this initiative will enable institutions in Jordan to provide the necessary information and data for creating a suitable business and investment environment in all regions of the Kingdom,” he added.

CSS Director Zaid Eyadat stressed that this joint cooperation with JEDCO is "not the first time”. 

"There was cooperation in implementing the Entrepreneurship Report that was launched in 2017, and the centre looks forward to strengthening this cooperation in other research fields,” he said.

Eyadat added that the reports and data will be available on the websites of GEM, JEDCO and the CSS.