Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh initiated a series of discussions with Jordanian youth, titled “Modernization Visions: Youth are the Priority”, on Wednesday. The inaugural session took place at the University of Jordan and was attended by numerous university students from central governorates. The dialogue, moderated by Hani Al-Badri and attended by various ministers along with the President of the University of Jordan, saw the Prime Minister emphasizing the crucial role of youth in shaping the nation’s future. Khasawneh highlighted recent constitutional and legislative changes that empower the youth to assume decision-making positions, such as the reduction of the minimum candidacy age for elections to 25 years, and the mandating of youth representation in political parties. “As a result of the constitutional amendments and in line with political modernization efforts, our youth now have the right to run for parliamentary membership at the age of twenty-five, down from thirty,” Khasawneh stated. He announced that 27 parties have already adjusted their membership to include at least 20% of youth and women, providing younger generations an opportunity to actively participate in the forthcoming elections. With the constitutional due date for parliamentary elections set for the period between July 10 and November 10, 2024, Khasawneh expressed his anticipation for active youth participation, both in candidacy and voter turnout. The Prime Minister also discussed the three paths of political modernization – political vision, economic vision, and the roadmap for modernizing the public sector – as outlined by His Majesty King Abdullah II. These paths aim to create an enabling environment for youth and stimulate their active involvement. Khasawneh acknowledged the disenchantment amongst the youth due to limited resources, regional challenges, and forced migrations that have impacted job opportunities. He committed to restoring trust through a calculated and gradual approach based on measurable and achievable programs. Addressing Jordan’s resilience in the face of existential threats in past decades, Khasawneh asserted faith in the capabilities of the youth, stating, “We have youth capabilities and energies capable of overcoming all difficulties.” He added that latent energies that were previously underutilized due to inadequate decision-making would be employed to serve the national interest. He urged the youth to participate in political life, as they are the engine of change, and stressed on the need to improve the low participation rates witnessed in the past. Responding to a survey that revealed 81.6% of participants had read the reference documents for the comprehensive modernization visions, the Prime Minister appreciated the youth’s eagerness to partake in the modernization journey. Khasawneh outlined the ambitious yet realistic economic modernization vision, which includes increasing the economic growth rate to 5.5%, providing one million job opportunities within ten years, and attracting investments worth 41 billion dinars during this period. He underscored that these visions transcend individual governments as they are interconnected and span a decade. “The objectives of the economic modernization vision are ambitious, and if 70-80% of these objectives are achieved, then this is an achievement and success,” said the Prime Minister. He emphasized Jordan’s wealth in human resources, capable of innovation and driving modernization and development projects. Khasawneh refuted allegations that the national employment initiative failed to generate the projected 50,000 jobs within the first six months. He underscored the fact that the plan’s objectives are set for a 10-year period, emphasizing that the targets wouldn’t necessarily be met evenly over this duration. Addressing the nation, the Prime Minister said, “We constantly strive to ensure a brighter future for our citizens,” reinforcing his belief in nurturing hope from a profound comprehension of the nation’s youth’s patriotic sentiments and His Majesty’s dedication to enhancing the living conditions of Jordanians. Khasawneh reassured public sector employees that the proposed modernization roadmap would not infringe upon their job rights, nor would it lead to layoffs or staffing reductions. He noted that the modernization dialogue predominantly focused on organizational structure reform, despite it being a minor aspect in comparison to other, more crucial elements, such as digitization, policy and decision-making, human resources, legislation, institutional culture, and service improvements. Drawing attention to the plan’s inherent flexibility, the Prime Minister highlighted that the government had relinquished the controversial idea of disbanding the Ministry of Labor. This move followed a study by the Economic and Social Council, which found that a significant 86% of the respondents opposed the ministry’s abolishment, prompting a policy reversal. By the close of the year, Khasawneh announced, the role of the Civil Service Bureau will be phased out and rebranded as the Service and Public Administration Authority. He noted that the shift would lead to more public office appointments through free competition, while safeguarding existing Bureau records and applicants’ rights. Registration for new applications would be halted, and future appointments would be based on yearly contracts, subject to renewal on the merit of performance and objective assessments. Furthermore, the Prime Minister indicated a propensity to eliminate the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, in favor of an overarching council for higher education. He stressed the necessity of reshaping academic specializations and educational outputs to align with the evolving labor market needs. He underscored the importance of focusing on emergent, in-demand fields like artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
Source: Jordan News Agency