Proactive approach needed

Inspired by His Majesty King Abdullah’s recent call for revisiting investment-related procedures to render them more business friendly, Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour has also called for a “quantum leap” to stimulate and attract local and foreign investments, ease licensing procedures and cut red tape. 

During a meeting with community leaders in Aqaba last Thursday, His Majesty cited “complications in the investment process” and urged officials to take courageous decisions when it comes to facilitating investments.

Ensour pointed out that while the King travels around the world to promote investments in the country and the government is working on updating legislation, “investors still face many bureaucratic obstacles”.

The premier made the remarks when he presided over a meeting at the Jordan Investment Commission (JIC) earlier this week, attended by the ministerial economic development committee and other stakeholders. 

He underscored the importance of “breathing new life into public administration at all levels… to render Jordan an advanced country free of corruption and crippling red tape”. 

The prime minister summed up his discourse on the issue by remarking that “investment is too important to be left to inefficient officials”. 

It is encouraging to note that the government now knows better why investors, local and foreign, remain reluctant to put their money in Jordan. 

The issue, however, is bigger and deeper than “debating” what needs to be done to offset the obstacles facing business communities within and outside the country. 

The stifling bureaucracy cannot be changed for the better by short-term measures. To remove inertia from state bureaucracy, Jordan needs to develop a new culture among civil servants. 

The switch to a more hospitable environment for conducting business is a long-term process and cannot be attained overnight. 

Obviously, the solution to the suffocating red tape, which affects not only investments but also other walks of life, is a process that culminates in the creation of a new culture for public sector employees. 

Admittedly this is a long way off, but a start must be made, nevertheless, as soon as possible.