jordan pulse -

Nedal Al Majali

The Jordanian government allocates millions of dinars annually to various agencies, organizations, and companies, considering them integral to the state’s structure or under its administrative or operational authority. These budget allocations undergo a full cycle: from initial estimation and requirements gathering to thorough discussions across various levels before finally gaining parliamentary approval after extensive deliberation. Once approved, the budget shapes the operations, strategies, and frameworks that these bodies claim will yield concrete outcomes, supposedly justifying the funds they receive.

With the budget submissions now under review by the government and parliament, I call on the Prime Minister—whose attention to detail is well-known, whether due to his previous roles, economic expertise, academic achievements, or the expectations for his administration. He is aware, as are many, of the numerous agencies and organizations that have spent far beyond what their plans justify, falling short of promised or even required performance indicators. This discrepancy demands accountability and a rethink before future budget allocations are made to entities that often spend extravagantly without achieving any meaningful return.

By reducing funds for entities without adequate performance or by merging similar organizations, the government could achieve significant savings. This would be more impactful than implementing decisions that directly affect citizens—the ultimate consumers of government services and the primary source of the funds supporting these budgets. Such a shift would be far more convincing and acceptable to citizens, encouraging them to support these funding efforts. There are countless examples, which would undoubtedly provoke frustration, especially among those who directly benefit from the privileges of their positions, including allowances, travel perks, cars, and high-level posts. These benefits often exist without achieved performance metrics, frequently justified by political circumstances, the inefficacy of responsible officials, a desire for luxury at state expense, or the mere existence of organizations created out of nepotism.

Dear Prime Minister, your intelligence is widely acknowledged, and we’ve often seen bold decisions impacting citizens under the banner of public interest. We hope to see equally courageous actions directed toward government companies with large payrolls but no results, agencies spending millions on travel without noticeable impact, and ministries or companies occupying prime real estate without providing genuine service. Environmental initiatives that attract international grants and participate in global forums but fail to release timely reports, expensive research projects that gather dust in office drawers, lost multi-million-dinar contracts due to individual decisions, or tenders entangled in red tape—this list goes on. You are well aware of these issues from experience and observation.

The government needs to confront these realities before approving any agency or ministry budget or presenting them to parliament. Let evaluations reflect real performance, just as your on-the-ground tours of these entities and provinces reveal the gaps. Many of these departments promise more than their budgets allow, constrained by institutional bureaucracy. We must move beyond colorful reports and speeches suited only for school essays, often hiding behind the justification, “This is how things have always been.” With your leadership and ministers in your government, there remains hope.