In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Our Dear Brother, His Excellency Faisal al Fayez
The Prime Minister

Peace be upon You, Allah's Mercy, and His Blessings,,,,

It is with pleasure that I send to you, and your colleagues the ministers, my greetings and wishes for your continued success, while you shoulder the trust of responsibility, and execute the contents of the Cabinet designation letter, in which we delegated to you the realization of specific and clear aims, on the top of which is the improvement of the standard of living for Jordanian citizens.

I have followed up during the past months on the Government's performance, and the effort and time it rendered to approve the budget, as well as approving a number of economic procedures and a number of legislations, in cooperation with the honourable Parliament. The time has come for the Government to grant our national programme, which you outlined to me in Aqaba upon the formation of the Government, as per my indication in the Cabinet designation letter forwarded to you increased care and further heed that would ensure the persistence of our blessed march, in the building of our cherished homeland.

Our belief in the need for work to continue towards developing our national economy, and providing for a decent life, and bright future to our people, prompts us to render this subject, and its development, utmost importance within the context of our national priorities.

This has been our endeavour as of the day we shouldered the responsibility for this dear homeland. The concern of the Jordanian citizen has been our first concern. We were able, with God's grace, during the past years, to put our national economy on the right path, through a series of decisions and procedures adopted by different sectors, thus promoting a most prominent effect on the overall development process.

Despite what has been achieved and concluded in the past months, I have seen a need to focus attention on a number of observations and ideas, to enable you, and your colleagues the ministers, to accelerate the momentum of work and accomplishments, and to achieve the goals that we asserted in the Royal letter of designation.

The process remains to be a long one, and we remain in need for more efforts to realize our vision for the future of Jordan, and retaining it as perceived by its Arab nation, cherished and strong, whereby its sons enjoy security and prosperity.

I beseech Almighty God to safeguard Jordan, a free Arab Hashemite nation, the pride of its men and women, and a beacon that guides us all towards the fulfillment of the aspirations of our people, in advancement and prosperity, He is the best Lord and the best Supporter.

Peace be Upon You, Allah's Mercy, and His blessings,,

Abdullah II Ibn al Hussein
Amman, Jumada Al-Akhira, 1425 Hijri
July 20th, 2004

The most significant pivots in His Majesty's letter:

First: Investment

Investment is the main mover of economic development and the increase of work opportunities. We aspire to achieve substantial growth in the volume of investments, on well designed basis, through which we review our strengths and weaknesses, and the role of our investment institutions.

Despite the amendment of all legislations concerned with the investment process as a whole to enable it follow its present course, we hear of some administrative bureaucratic obstacles for investment referrals. We wish to reiterate the need for us to continue the development of a unified operation, that achieves a ‘one investment window', which in other words means a unified set of procedures for investment, delegation of authorities to the concerned employee, and the endeavour to develop and monitor such an employee's performance. Furthermore, this should be aligned with other ministries commitment to provide facilities, speed the dealing with investment issues, and apply transparent measures in the dealings with investors.

The performance of the private sector, as the main mover of economic development, should have a healthy economic environment, and an appropriate investment climate that encourage the attraction of investments, play an effective role that integrates with that of the public sector, and execute policies and laws with transparency. The investment climate should as well form a development perspective, that emerges from consensus and mutual agreement in views amongst all sectors. Government institutions should exert the effort to establish strong partnership relations with the private sector, provide support for non-government institutes, and design a work monitoring referral over work and performance, to avoid any loose ends.

From this point, we call for a further earnest endeavour that provides an investment environment, which takes into consideration Jordan's special social and economic circumstances, its orientation to attract more investment- whether local or foreign, to provide the right incentives and facilities, and to avoid following a course that leads to an increase in treasury revenues and reduction of budget deficit, at the expense of investment itself.

Second: Administrative Reform:

Administrative development and modernization is a continued activity, that comes in harmony with administrative changes and development. Whilst administrative activities suffer from a clear disparity, economic development should be accompanied by administrative reform, which is based on self generated resources, and our preferential characteristics. Thus an administrative reform that rewards the hard worker, prompts the hesitant and shuns corruption, is imperative.

Development and administrative reform embody the adoption of radical solutions that tackle administrative problems that led to loose measures in many administrative aspects. Some of these measures for example were severed governmental efforts that were not completed over the years, thus leaving obvious negative effects on citizens standards of living, which is the direct result of a retracted performance level, caused by the lack of clear administrative policies based upon clear scientific bases that take into consideration the achievements realized on the administration front.

In this context, I would like to affirm what has been agreed in Aqaba, that efficiency is the base and standard in the selection of public servants, and that appointments should not be subject to different social pressures, which lead to its diversion off its course. The Government administrative structure should continue to undergo development, and correct linking means amongst government institutes and entities should be established, with an aim to provide the right environment of liaison and cooperation amongst such entities. Such efforts should be based upon joint national interests, the rehabilitation and training of public service cadres, developing public service to follow new administrative trends, developing the professional sense of administrative public service and enhancing public awareness of the importance of public funds.

The Government style and level of performance should be based upon effective mechanisms for decision making and execution. We are fully aware that institutional work is evaluated by its achievement, and by its diversion from individualism, and controversy, and by the extent of success in putting in place a decision making mechanism, that leads to concrete achievements. Developing the decision-making mechanism will have a substantial influence on our taking the correct decision, based upon scientific methods and means, away from conciliatory compromised solutions, which do not improve the efficiency of administrative systems. Furthermore, allowing full time for the discussion of policies and granting ministries wider authorities in procedural issues that are discussed by your esteemed Council, will contribute towards dealing with administrative issues, in a manner that matches economic, social and political development, and would achieve utmost efficiency in administering the interests of our society, as well as meeting the needs, hopes and aspirations of our citizens.

I look forward to the administrative reform strategy that includes achieving a comprehensive tackling of policies concerned with public office, in terms of job planning, appointment, promotion, monitoring, evaluation, training, guarantees for equal opportunities, and job satisfaction for all civil servants.

I also look forward to the full execution of the plan under implementation at the moment, which is concerned with the restructuring of ministries, public institutes and establishing the correct link amongst ministries and official institutions.

Third: Developing Human Resources

In the frame of public investment, which we initiated to educate, train and rehabilitate the Jordanian citizen to acquire knowledge and efficiency, I aspire to find a mechanism that would enable the industrialists and business people, to fully cooperate with ministries and institutes of the public sector concerned with training, education, and higher education, with an aim to achieve the required productive work in the national, regional and international markets, both in the present and the future.

We established a technical and professional education and training council, to instigate a qualitative leap in the field of training, and to upgrade the level of vocational and technical education and training for human resources development. Such a council should respond to the requirements of comprehensive development in the Kingdom and provide appropriate solutions to the important equation of instigating the required harmony between the outputs of technical and professional training, and the requirements of the labour market. Yet, and until the present time, we have not perceived the aspired results of this council, since there is still a demand for certain specialized professions that are not available in the Jordanian labour market.

We are aware that there is around five thousand work opportunities available in the industrial cities and free economic zones in different governorates, that there is a refrain from seizing these opportunities, and that pressures are increasing on the government to provide more public jobs, which in itself is a worrisome situation. A study and analysis of this phenomenon should be conducted to find the ideal solution for the unemployment problem, which is worrying all citizens. An appropriate solution for the problem of unemployment should be established, even to the point of reconsidering military service conscription, within new frames, under the motto of National Service, in cooperation with our Jordanian Armed Forces.

Therefore, an intermediate national strategy for training should be designed, provided its aims correspond to the requirements of the labour market, and the outcomes of the training process, to fulfill the changing needs of the labour market.

It is necessary for efforts to come together amongst concerned institutions, to achieve the aspired aims of such a strategy, and equally for such a strategy to be based upon scientific bases that take the quantitative and qualitative performance and production into consideration, due to them being the winning standard for competition in the new age.

Fourth: Education

Our engrained belief has always been that the Jordanian citizen is the aim and base of development. We have been devoted to the important task of investment in the human resources capital, through education, training and rehabilitation that aim at preparing a generation of youth capable of thinking, analyzing, creating, and excelling.

Despite all encouraging achievements in this regard, such as establishing schools, computerizing education, and developing curricula, the real challenge that faces our beloved country is to delve into the field of advanced technology, which has become the decisive element in the advancement of peoples, and their prosperity. Furthermore, there is no doubt that the launching point, starts with preparing capable cadres to execute this substantial transformation, which demands the formation of a structure based on technology, with an aim to change the perception of teachers towards teaching, change traditional methods adopted in the educational process, from memorization and dictation, to a participatory and effective method, that interacts with the changes and offerings of modernity, while ensuring the improvement of conditions in the schools in the less privileged areas, and harmonizing its needs with the Royal Endowment that aimed from the beginning at developing less privileged areas, and enhancing them with qualified people who endeavour to develop such areas and improve the difficult circumstances they endure. The needs of these areas should be linked to the specializations beneficiaries of the Royal Endowment undertake, coupled with a compulsory service in these areas upon graduation, and the general provision for the needs of the labour market with what beneficiaries of the Royal Endowment study.

There is a pressing need for institutions of higher education to reconsider university plans and programmes, as well as link specializations to the requirements of the labour market. Reform procedures should also be undertaken to upgrade the level of education, control teachers students ratio, and adopt new specializations, and advanced educational technology, developed curricula, and extra curricular education, that would enable graduates to deal with the requirements of the coming phase, and contribute to the planning of the future of the homeland and that of future generations.

I would like to retrieve herewith, the contents of my letter to His Excellency the Prime Minister, in May last year, on the imperative need to design the necessary bases and standards for the level of curricula and education in Jordanian universities, thus ensuring that standards remain the of the highest, as has always been the case, to provide the nation with efficient and excelling cadres.

As for the youth who occupy most of our attention, I find it necessary to establish the right institutional mechanism that interacts with them, activate their participation in public life, thus allowing for their effective contribution to this society, and participating in the making of their country's future and theirs.

Five: Religious Preaching and Guidance

In light of the social, economic and democratic developments witnessed by the country, and the extent of challenges such developments pose, we aspire with confidence and determination to achieve a religious preaching and guidance plan that takes into consideration new variables, and shows the tolerance of the Islamic Religion. Designers and those who implement such a plan should exert sincere efforts to explain the pure image of Islam, and the real substance of religion, away from incorrect perceptions, and affirming that Moslems and Islam, are not responsible for the misunderstanding of Islam, whether intentional or due to ignorance.

Moslems should also exert their utmost to explain the core magnanimous and tolerant base of Islam with all peoples and religions, promote middle ground in their approach, moderation in thought, balance in conduct, actions and reactions, shun unilateral methodology and approach that control the mentality of preaching and guidance rhetoric, accept intellectual diversity, and interact with contradicting points of view.

Such a plan would also enhance the capabilities of the promising youth, to enable them confront their time's issues effectively, face the problems of their era with confidence, prioritize the call's plans and programmes, and those of religious education, control of religious fervor, avoid desecration to God's doctrines by some of those occupied with the matters of preaching, guidance, fatwa, and religious education, shun the style of oratory incitement for no clear purpose, and real knowledge, without imposing guardianship as well, nor activate monitoring, but rather be that of direction and care. Substantial consideration should be born in mind, to the effects preachers, orators, and speakers leave on people, especially the youth. The gap between the religious scholars and the rest of the youth should be reduced, and ties should be strengthened through all ways and means.

Six: Health

The health of the citizen, and care for it, are of the most important of government responsibilities. In this regard a bundle of immediate actions should target the improvement of health services offered to citizens. Further areas of concern include qualitative and quantitative development of health care, speedy response for health needs and requirements for all people in this society, due attention for issues of family planning, reproductive health, merge of services and qualitative reproductive health data in the frame of health care, work towards minimizing the disparity amongst regions through providing service and data concerned with reproductive health for men, women and the youth, particularly in remote areas.

I also aspire for the preparation of a comprehensive and realistic study on the means, cost, and mechanisms for a comprehensive health insurance system in the Kingdom. Such a study will be crystallized and means of funding will be considered in the near future, aspiring to reach the point of full comprehensive medical insurance that we are aiming for.

I follow up on the work to develop primary health care centers, to be the first and basic referral point in the service of citizens that would provide the necessary health care for them. I also aspire for the continuation of the modernization programme, and developing primary health care centers, upgrading some of them to a comprehensive level, thus allowing the citizen to feel, especially in the governorates, that good health care is available to him and his family.

Despite what has been achieved in the past years in terms of increased economic growth averages, citizens did not feel such an increase on their standards of living. The reason for this could perhaps be the result of an alarming increase in the population growth rate, which obliterates any positive effect of average economic growth. A national campaign is needed to enhance family planning, regulate the increase in the population, in a manner that doesn't contradict with our religious beliefs.

Seven: Tourism

Jordan is blessed with substantial political and security stability, as well as a wide infrastructure for the touristic sector. Furthermore, a national strategy for tourism has been previously endorsed. The tourism sector should therefore be rendered its due attention in light of the importance it holds, in a country that lacks economic resources, and is in desperate need to expand its income resources. We expect additional government procedures, to execute this plan, which will form a main incentive for the merge of the local community in the development process, and upgrade touristic facilities, activate the touristic sector to upgrade its role in the economic and social development process.

In this endeavour, further provision of sufficient funding should be made available to cater for scientific promotional processes, for our touristic potentials.

Eight: Agriculture

The importance of the agriculture sector lies in the fact that it affects the lives of many society segments, as well as links with other economic sectors, due to its representing a style of living, a social dimension and a source of income to a wide segment of citizens.

Jordan has taken substantial strides in this regard and we await the Government's undertaking of well studied steps to execute the national strategy for agricultural development. Such strategy has focused on a number of problems that affect the agriculture sector, with an aim to overcome the obstacles that prevent the advancement of this sector and hinder agricultural development in Jordan.

I have realized the great importance that many in our society attach to agriculture, and witnessed many of the problems that this important sector suffers from, such as production and marketing. Despite serious attempts to execute a national agriculture strategy, I find the need still stands for wider coordination with the private agricultural sector to benefit from different commercial and agricultural agreements in marketing national agricultural produce.

Nine: Governorates Development

Economic development cannot be achieved unless it is based on economies distinguished with high quality and balanced development based on knowledge, technology and modern sciences. For the conclusion of the aspired economic development, the Jordan citizen should feel the effect of economic growth and its positive reflection on his life. Hence the good results of the economic and social transformation programme that we gave directions for its launch three years ago; the programme based one of its main pivots on ‘governorates development.' Such development is to be based on a methodology based on the offerings of the governorate sons and daughters, while providing for their welfare, through developmental projects based upon production feasibility, led by, as I stated in a previous occasion, an administrative governor armed with experience and knowledge, and capable of directing the development process in the governorate towards a sound course.

Based upon this, an appraisal study on the effects of these programmes should be conducted. The study will measure the extent of its reflection on the improvement of the living conditions of citizens, and on the alleviation of the severity of poverty and unemployment. We also demand further efforts through different institutions to support micro projects development in the Kingdom's governorates, and to guarantee their success.

As for the municipalities, many remain in a state of stumble, and unable to offer services that befit the people of this country. We foresee that this experience should be evaluated, new mechanisms that develop their work and performance should be designed benefiting from lessons learned and past experience.