The political turmoil sweeping the Arab world has dealt a harsh blow to the Jordanian economy, deepening the kingdom’s budget crisis and forcing the country to rely increas-ingly on financial support from the US and the Gulf.
Jordan’s resource-starved economy has been under pressure since the start of the year, pounded by the twin forces of regional instability and the sharp rise in commodity prices. The government hopes to limit this year’s budget deficit to 5.5 per cent of GDP, but warns that it will need more foreign aid to reach that target.
“Today, with the Arab spring, we in Jordan do have a crisis, but it is an economic crisis not a political crisis,” said Jafar Hassan, minister for planning and international co-operation. Jordan, he added, was in talks with G8 countries as well as Arab states to provide further grants to cover the funding gaps.
No comments:
Post a Comment