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Economic crisis deepens in Jordan, where foreign support decreases

Saying that the decrease in foreign support in Jordan deepened the economic crisis, Economist Mazin Marci said that the main pillars that sustain the annual budget of the government are the aid that Jordan receives as a grant. Political Science Lecturer Muhammed Beni Selame said that Jordan’s ability to cope with developments in the long term depends on adapting itself to new situations.

Experts state that the current crisis may deepen with the decrease in foreign support in Jordan, which has been suffering from difficult economic conditions imposed by the repercussions of the crises in the region for a while.

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Although Jordan, which was directly affected by the problems surrounding it, especially due to its geopolitical position, managed to maintain stability and security throughout the country, including the border regions, this situation was not enough to prevent the decrease in foreign support for Amman. Recently, foreign loans to Jordan have been limited.

While many countries in the world, especially Europe, are busy with the Russia-Ukraine crisis and its heavy effects, the countries of the region are looking for ways to strengthen their global position.

Jordan, which has not spent a year without the economic crisis, is now trying to fight the crises alone, with the decrease in foreign support in the shadow of all these events.

The government is trying to compensate for the deficit caused by the decrease in foreign support with the measures it has taken. However, some steps taken, such as reducing subsidies, are causing public outrage.

 

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The country has been the scene of strikes in the transport sector, demanding lower gasoline prices since 5 December.

“There is a serious regression in aid defined as grant”

Economist Mazin Marci said in a statement to AA correspondent, “The aid that Jordan receives from Arab countries, especially the Gulf, or from the European Union (EU) and its member states, or from the USA, Canada, Japan, is one of the main pillars that sustain the government’s annual budget. was one.” said.

Noting that some of the grants are given free of charge for bilateral agreements or certain programs in various sectors such as industry, trade, energy and water, Marci said, “There is a serious decline in the aid defined as grants, it has become very limited since the global financial crisis in 2008.” he said.

Marci said that some of the donor countries have reduced their support for Jordan not because of economic reasons but because of their own political reasons.

Marci said some countries are trying to put pressure on Jordan for its political stance on certain issues, such as the Palestinian issue or the “Deal of the Century”, which aims to lift Amman’s tutelage over the holy sites.

It is stated that the expansion in the country’s expenditures continues as 9-10 percent, the budget deficit is 2.6 billion dinars (3.6 billion dollars), the growth rate does not exceed 2.6 percent, the unemployment rate is 22.6 percent, and the poverty rate is 22 percent. Pointing out, Marci evaluated that the government problems in Jordan may continue in 2023.

Changing the political infrastructure in the region

Badr al-Madi, Political Science Lecturer at Jordan-German State University, said, “I believe that the priorities of countries that affect the global political system have changed in recent years for many reasons, such as efforts to end terrorism. Jordan played an important role in this regard due to its geopolitical position.” he said.

Stating that some countries in the region are trying to disable Amman’s role by giving the world the message that “Jordan is not the only player in this file” with their attempts to normalize with Israel, Madi said that the change in the political infrastructure in the region and Amman as an important country among political and economic priorities. He stated that failure to support them could lead to instability in Jordan.

The issue of human rights and democracy

Yarmouk State University Political Science Lecturer Mohammed Bani Salame said that the reason for the decrease in international support for Jordan is related to Jordan’s internal affairs and foreign affairs of donor countries.

Beni Selame noted that “As documented in the reports of relevant international organizations, there is a decline in the democratic process and human rights in Jordan; Jordan is classified as a free and undemocratic country.”

Beni Selame, who is an expert in democracy and human rights studies, reminded that donor countries associate the aid they give with the developments in democracy and human rights issues in the country.

Beni Selame stated that donor countries attributed the decrease in aid to Jordan due to various crises, the conditions caused by the Kovid-19 outbreak and the resulting economic burdens.

Emphasizing that his country should not rely too much on foreign aid, Beni Selame said, “Foreign support is always conditional and may be cut off completely one day. Jordan needs to adapt itself to new situations in order to cope with these developments in the long run.” used the phrases.

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