Al-Masri added that municipalities are the closest entity to citizens and undertake to provide about 70 percent of direct services to them, which necessitates raising the efficiency, experience, and continuous training of municipal cadres, pointing out that the program is in line with the comprehensive modernization vision with its three tracks.
He confirmed that the Local Administration Law enhances these roles and their application on the ground, as this program will be followed by other programs that highlight the importance of neighborhood committees and their role stipulated by law.
He pointed to the launch of a new project for the automation of municipal accounting, management, and various services, reviewing the main features of the Local Administration Law, and the government measures taken to reduce the debts incurred by municipalities, praising the efforts of the heads of municipal committees in doubling revenues and controlling expenditures.
For his part, the President of the Jordanian Academy for Government Management, Dr. Mustafa Hamarneh, confirmed that the partnership between the Ministry and the Academy represents a model of empowerment and qualification, noting that the program is characterized by its technical, cognitive, and logistical magnitude, and will be implemented in 16 sites simultaneously in different regions of the Kingdom.
Hamarneh explained that the results and recommendations of the training will be available to the Ministry directly for follow-up and evaluation, noting that the training comes as part of the administrative reform visions and the consolidation of the concept of "knowledge for development" to improve the quality of life, and to establish a new phase of future programs.
In turn, the program's official, Ahmed Al-Ajarmeh, presented a presentation at the Academy about the program's schedule, objectives, and the sites where it will be held in various governorates of the Kingdom.
On the sidelines of the launch ceremony, a discussion session was held chaired by the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Local Administration for Technical Affairs, Engineer Muhammad Al-Amush, with the participation of experts Dr. Murad Al-Kalladah, Engineer Ahmed Mousa, and Engineer Omar Al-Harasis, during which the program's axes were discussed, including urban and physical planning, governance and budget management, in addition to accounting methods and financial reports for municipalities in light of the transition from the cash basis to the accrual basis according to international public sector accounting standards, and local development.
The launch ceremony was attended by the Secretary-General of the Academy, Engineer Siham Al-Khawaleh, and all the heads of municipal committees in the Kingdom.
