Public Works Minister receives Jordan’s World Bank Country Director

Amman: Minister of Public Works and Housing, Maher Abu Al Sammen, met on Sunday with the World Bank Country Director for Jordan, Holly Benner. During the meeting, which was attended by the Ministry's Secretary General, Jamal Qutaishat, Abu Al Sammen highlighted the plans and strategies for developing the road network in the Kingdom and implementing public-private partnership projects, stressing the importance of the partnership between the World Bank and Jordan in various fields. Abu Al Sammen praised the Bank's cooperation in preparing plans and strategies for developing the roads and infrastructure sector in the Kingdom, in addition to contributing to providing the necessary technical support to the government to implement public-private partnership projects aimed at creating and maintaining the road network, given the high costs that the government pays to develop the road network and the inability to provide the necessary funding for it, whether for maintaining existing roads or building new ones. Abu Al Sammen also commended the World Bank's support for road network development projects in the Kingdom, such as the Road Asset Management System project, which is funded by the Multi-Donor Trust Fund for Inclusive Growth and Economic Opportunities in Jordan, which will contribute to raising the effectiveness of planning and implementing maintenance work and prioritizing road maintenance according to the precise condition of the road network. He stressed the need to proceed with the procedures for adopting the performance-based road maintenance contracts document, as this type of contract aims to manage the maintenance of the road network through financial support to involve the private sector in routine and emergency road maintenance in light of the limited financial resources allocated to the road maintenance and sustainability sector. For her part, Benner lauded Jordan's ability to fulfill its obligations and implement plans and strategies, stressing that the World Bank is working continuously with the Jo rdanian government to provide support for the establishment of infrastructure projects and provide technical support for preparing the necessary studies and technical plans in the transport and infrastructure sector. Source: Jordan News Agency