IfG.CC - The Potsdam eGovernment Competence Center

Representative of the communications and information technology sector in the Jordan Chamber of Commerce (JCC), Haitham Al-Rajbeh, affirmed that digital transformation is a major driver of economic and social development, calling for accelerating the digitization of more government services.

Al-Rajbeh said in a statement on Monday that Jordan is considered one of the region's first countries in using the digital transformation process in a host of economic sectors, especially in the financial, agricultural, industrial, and health services areas.

Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship Minister Ahmad Hanandeh said Saturday that Jordan has gone a long way towards digitized government services, as more than half a million Jordanians have activated their digital ID to easily and quickly access e-services.

In a panel discussion entitled "future services", which was held at the government forum "The Modernization Vision: a year on", Hanandeh said the digital register will give citizens access to all government services, adding that his ministry is working with government institutions to validate their procedures.

A strategic partnership between the Jordanian Ministry of Digital Economy and IrisGuard to implement iris recognition technologies for Government digital services delivery

Today, IrisGuard nd the Jordanian Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship signed a strategic partnership agreement for the use of iris recognition to enhance access to Governmental and private sector services. This partnership marks a significant change in the way services are provided to its citizens and residents, reinforcing their digital transformation journey, with Jordan being the first country to apply innovative iris recognition technologies in Governmental services.

A group of Jordanian bloggers are urging the country's ministers and other senior officials to increase their level of activity on the Internet to explain the government's stance on different issues.

In a meeting with Prime Minister Samir Rifai on Monday, bloggers from 7iber.com and other local blogs criticised what they described as a lack of officials' communication with online media outlets regarding issues of public interest.

More efforts are needed to acquaint the public with the benefits and necessity of using e-services, the government said, as figures showed that 48 per cent of Jordanians have not used any e-government service.

“Many people still prefer the traditional ways to complete transactions,” ICT Minister Majd Shweikeh said at an event on Thursday held by the Jordan Strategy Forum (JSF).

There are 100 e-services available at present in various government institutions, including the Department of Lands and Survey, the Traffic Department and the Greater Amman Municipality.

Meanwhile, government agencies sent more than 17 million messages to mobile users in the Kingdom in 2012 highlighting the services they provide or raising awareness on certain issues, MoICT Secretary General Nader Dhneibat told The Jordan Times on Wednesday.

Citizens can inquire about 40 services provided by 27 public agencies using SMSs, according to the ministry.

“I didn’t know we could send text messages to inquire about government services. I guess I could use the services to check the weather forecast or if I have any traffic tickets,” Ehab Naieem, a 30-year old employee at a wholesale store in Amman, told The Jordan Times on Sunday.

The new service will be provided under a project implemented by the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology. It involves a total of 15 public agencies and ministries that will send short messages to cellular phones related to announcements and services offered by these agencies, according to Director of e-Government Programme Hassan Horani.

HE Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, founder and chairman of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Global (TAG.Global), launched ‘Toward Digital Jordan’ Committee, one of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Knowledge Forum (TAG-KF) committees.

The Committee which includes a host of experts in information and communication technology aims at finding the appropriate means for transforming the Jordanian community into a knowledge-based society in addition to boosting economy and developing services offered to citizens.

The conference was part of efforts to communicate programme objectives and goals, and share with the industry the challenges being faced in implementing e-Government, according to an int@j statement.

Japan and Jordan will henceforth share their expertise and technical knowhow on different modern technologies including the building of digital public infrastructure, Jordan Times reports.

The deal was signed recently by the Minister of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship of Jordan, Ahmad Hanandeh, and the Minister of Digital Transformation of Japan, Kono Taro.

In an area of 7,579 square kilometres, 6 million people, about 40 per cent of the population of Jordan, live in Amman, the country's capital. The steady increase of population is a result of difficult economic and political circumstances that occurred in neighbouring countries, increasing the pressure on Jordan's infrastructure, particularly in Amman.

Transportation is among the most pressing issues facing the capital.

Officials from the public and private sectors have stressed the importance of digital transformation to improve the quality and management of government performance in light of current challenges.

They made the remarks during the Tawasul Forum, which was launched by the Crown Prince Foundation (CPF) on Saturday, under the title "Administrative Reform in the Digital Age."

His Majesty chairs part of Cabinet meeting

His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday highlighted the importance for appointments in the government to be based on competence and expertise, and to be transparent and just.

King Abdullah, during a visit to the Prime Ministry where he chaired part of a Cabinet meeting, directed the government to explain its decisions to citizens and to reconsider any appointment that was not based on transparent and fair procedures, according to a Royal Court statement.

His Majesty says those who hinder plans will be held accountable

His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday said that those who hinder plans to improve the performance of the public sector and other economic programmes would be held accountable.

He told a meeting of officials tasked with implementing public sector development policies that the performance of each official would be evaluated in accordance with the size of achievement and in case of failure to accomplish the tasks vested in them.

The House of Representatives on Monday celebrated the official handover of tablet computers to the deputies, under the framework of the first component of the European Union (EU) funded project for the support of Jordanian democratic institutions and their development.

The ceremony was inaugurated by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Atef Tarawneh, who commended the efforts of the EU to “invigorate the deputies”, stressing that “time will not wait for anyone and the House of Representatives will continue to work towards the digital implementation.”

We need a serious strategic change in our economic model or paradigm in Jordan. So much emphasis has been put on knowledge economy, but with very modest results.

His Majesty King Abdullah formed the 'Economic Policies Council' which had started with effectiveness and steadfastness under his chairmanship. Its membership was made up mostly of private and public sector representatives, economic experts and entrepreneurs with the passage of time, while the prime minister headed most of the sessions. Eventually, this Royal council produced more measures than policies.

A smart city uses information and communication technology (ICT) to improve operational efficiency, share information with the public and provide a better quality of government service and citizen welfare.

The main goal of a smart city is to optimize city functions and promote economic growth while also improving the quality of life for citizens by using smart technologies and data analysis.

Despite the economic struggle of the country in recent years, Jordan still enjoys several advantages over other countries in the Middle East, foremost among which are security, political stability, moderate culture, human capital and geographical location.

More needs to be done in regard to competitiveness, however, as this is an important indicator often used by financial, economic and business analysts to make recommendations regarding investment in that country, and to make comparisons and recommendations to multinational corporations that seek new markets and opportunities to invest.