ICT sector contributes 12% of GDP

AMMAN — The information and communication sector’s contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) ranges around 12 per cent, a sector leader said, reporting an improving performance. 

Quoted by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, on Tuesday, Bashar Hawamdeh, chairman of the Information and Communications Technology Association (Int@j) said that the investment volume in the industry is “considered good”, especially when compared with previous years. 

He stressed that the sector's exports have achieved a growth, citing the association's most recent study, without elaboration. 

During a press conference attended by Int@j board of directors, Hawamdeh noted that the investment volume in ICT enterprises in Jordan is four times the average in the Middle East region, noting that the investment volume of the entrepreneurship in Jordan equals $420 for every $1million of GDP, compared to the regional average of $120.

However, Int@j’s chief said that the ICT business in Jordan is facing several challenges and obstacles, calling for a clear and integrated vision for the sector in the Kingdom that covers all governorates.    

Hawamdeh said that local companies have developed the current e-payment systems in cooperation with the Central Bank of Jordan, while it has successfully developed the governmental electronic systems in neighbouring countries.