Enhancing Trade Performance for Inclusive Employemnt

Project name:

Trade for Employment (T4E)

Commissioned by:

German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development BMZ (lead donor), and co-financed by the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the United Kingdom's Department for International Development (DFID).

Partners:

Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply, Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, Ministry of Labor, National Committee for Trade and Transport Facilitation, Jordan Investment Commission, Jordan Enterprise Development Corporation, Jordan Customs, Jordan Chambers of Industry and Commerce, International Rescue Committee, International Trade Centre, East Amman Investors Industrial Association, Business and Professional Women Association, as well as other Business Associations and Civil Society.

Duration:

2017 – 2021

The challenge

The Jordanian economy has been growing on slow pace over the past few years, with an average annual real growth rate of 2.4%, compared to an annual average of about 7% for the years before the global crisis of 2007. Regional turmoil has put extra pressure on the local economy, especially with the inflow of refugees, and the considerable decline in export values to regional markets, which was considered among the top trading partners for Jordan. With the high unemployment rate, reaching 18.5% at the end of the first quarter of 2018, the government is setting itself the goal of enhancing the competitiveness of the national economy and promoting trade, and thereby generating economic growth and jobs as part of Jordan 2025 - A National Vision and Strategy. This requires additional and substantial efforts to facilitate access to the European market as well as other new exports markets, especially since the necessary conditions for Jordanian companies to increase their trade performance for employment are not yet in place.

Our approach: 

The project focuses on building capacities and strengthening structures in a sustainable manner to enhance the conditions of Jordanian companies to increase their trade performance for employment. It assists the private sector with shaping general conditions conducive to trade by developing negotiating capacities of chambers of commerce and trade associations and institutionalizing dialogue with the government. It also seeks to improve availability and quality of demand-driven trade related services alongside identifying existing barriers to trade, developing action plans for facilitating export procedures and reducing trade costs, in line with the World Trade Organization's Trade Facilitation Agreement. The project aims to improve recruitment of personnel in trade-oriented businesses, with a particular focus on the placement of Syrian refugees and Jordanian jobseekers.

The benefits:

The project addresses companies with export experience whose markets collapsed due to the region’s current geopolitical situation as well as exporting companies aiming to access new markets with improved, or newly developed products. Additionally, measures concerning the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement will be prioritized and implemented with the project’s support. Jordanian and Syrian job seekers, at least 4065, will be supported to find formal and decent employment. Besides, demand oriented services will be availed to owners and employees of trade-oriented companies in the industrial, agricultural and service sectors as well as their supply and service companies to promote employment and growth.

The project is part of a special initiative designed to tackle the root causes of displacement, reintegrate refugees and stabilise and promote development run by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The project is being implemented as part of the Regional Refugee & Resilience Plan 2017-2018 in Response to the Syria Crisis (3RP).