아프리카ㆍ중동

The economic situation continues to be challenging. Growth in 2018 – at 1.9 per cent – recorded its lowest level in 23 years, and remained around the same level in the first half of 2019, while unemployment is high and increasing.

The pace of fiscal consolidation progressed slightly. Additional revenue and expenditure measures were adopted to reduce the fiscal deficit and contain high public debt levels.

Structural reforms continued to target inclusive growth and private sector participation. Jordan was among the top 20 improvers in the World Bank’s Doing Business 2020 report. Recent reforms include: enforcing the new income tax and insolvency laws, implementing a financial inclusion strategy, promoting energy efficiency projects, enacting the long-delayed amendment to the secured lending law, and using movable assets as collateral for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).