President Trump has started to put his campaign promises into action. What should we expect? By Venture Staff Among the chaos of the new Trump administration lies the most important economic policies that have yet to be implemented. Prior to…
Jordan’s Finance Minister, Omar Malhas, says the country will have to make some tough economic choices in 2017. By Dina Al Wakeel Jordan’s public debt now stands at almost 95 percent of GDP, and unemployment is running at around 16…
Having just signed up to yet another IMF assistance program, isn’t it about time we began relying less on the international lender and more on our own government to tackle deep-rooted economic problems? It took Jordan almost 16 years to…
The Housing Bank for Trade and Finance is building on its solid reputation to expand its retail and corporate business. Jordan’s banks are known for their resilience. The sector has been one of the main pillars that support the economy…
If we are about to get another government sworn in, let’s at least have it filled with genuinely reform-minded experts who can tackle the long-ignored challenges facing our economy. By Khalid W. Wazani By the time this article sees the…
Kristina Kostial, Former International Monetary Fund Mission Chief for Jordan Date of Interview: August 2015 To overcome persistent economic shocks, in 2012 Jordan successfully sought out a loan from the IMF in return for introducing a series of tough economic reforms….
While it appears unenthused about taking the simple steps needed to create a sovereign investment fund, the government has been more than happy to burn through foreign aid and rack up debt with little or nothing to show for it….
Jordan is expected to begin talks with the IMF this month to try to secure an Extended Fund Facility (EFF) with the international lender worth between $700 and $800 million. The talks come after Jordan successfully completed a three-year, $2…
The Kingdom’s economy performed well last year despite regional unrest, and its upward trajectory looks set to continue in 2016. Steady reform and targeted growth bolstered investor confidence in Jordan’s economy in 2015, as weaker oil prices helped support a…
As the government has learned from its deal with the IMF, ill-conceived economic reforms can often do more harm than good. By Khalid Wazani Economic reform is a process that should be evolutionary not revolutionary, gradual not instantaneous, comprehensive not…