Prime Ministers Response
In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Your Majesty, King Abdullah II,
May God protect you
Peace, mercy, and God's blessings be upon you,
I received with deep appreciation your kind letter and your fulsome praise of the achievements of both my colleagues the ministers and myself under your continuous guidance and support since you entrusted us with the responsibility and honoured us with your valued confidence, which we treasure. We hope we can be worthy of it.
Your majesty, one feature of the Hashemite virtues is your support of those to whom you entrust responsibility. It marks your approach to leadership, for you look ahead with your clear vision and define the worthy national goals that are suited to the Jordanian people's determination. You then join day with night in work, consultation, and follow-up in order to surmount all obstacles and challenges that confront our progress and prevent us from achieving our praiseworthy national goals.
Your wise and encouraging leadership has and will remain the beacon that lights our way. Moreover, we will be guided by your comprehensive vision, drawing from it the courage and resolve to continue Jordan 's blessed progress, investing in the future to accomplish the building of the nation of institutions and constitutions, achieving comprehensive development and raising the standards of living, thus entitling Jordanians to a free and honourable life suited to their worthy national goals.
Sir, the clear vision contained in your letter has set out for us the path we should follow, as well as our future plans and agendas. It is our duty to change the vision, plans, and agendas into a tangible reality. As soon as I had the honour of receiving your letter, I applied myself to making arrangements and taking action that will enable us to achieve these lofty goals, within the specific time frame you mentioned.
The Cabinet's broad agenda and its work plan for the upcoming period is based on the following principal factors dictated by Your Majesty:
First: Managing general investments towards developing human resources in its various aspects, through learning, training, and culture; stressing the improvement of principal government services and developing the governorates; completing structural financial reforms, especially those regarding retirement; stepping up the pace of implementing the management reform plan; and modernising the courts on the basis of the recommendations of the royal commission for reforming the judiciary: special care will be given to training judges within the framework of an ambitious plan which aims at keeping up with changes and innovations.
The Cabinet will shortly draw up a comprehensive national training and capacity-building programme related to the needs of the market. It will also set down new specifics for the progress of our national economy and the serious quest for effective solutions for the issues of poverty and unemployment. Moreover, it will prepare responsible managerial and technical administrations to promote Jordan 's progress.
Second: Speeding the pace of the implementation of major national projects concerning water, electricity, developing Aqaba and al-Abdali quarter, and other projects. We will attempt to adopt the necessary measures to make opportunities for the national capital and to encourage its participation in instituting, executing, and managing these projects in Jordan 's interest.
Third: Drawing up a comprehensive working plan to attract private investments through perfecting the privatisation programme; revising economic policies and the performance and function of certain institutions; and supporting the Jordanian private sector with methods based on an actual union between the private and public sectors, by giving a free rein to its potential and encouraging creativity and initiative.
Fourth: Reviewing the mechanics of governmental decision-making by merging more ministries and enhancing the independence of some institutions; in addition to choosing qualified managements and evolving a mechanism to evaluate the performance of these institutions and those who run them. In this context, legal measures shall be taken to ensure the continuation of this function and to avoid any legal or administrative gap that might impede the decision-making.
Fifth: Concerning the topic of information and youth, the Cabinet will comply with your wish to form a Higher Council for Media and a Council of Youth during the period you specified in your letter. This agrees with your desire to put these issues on the national priorities agenda. At the same time, the Cabinet will take the necessary measures to form a Council of Culture and Arts to replace the Ministry of Culture.
Sixth: In order to perfect the legislation package necessary to accomplish the reform of the different sectors, in view of supporting the judicial environment, encouraging economic growth, and laying a solid base for the social and economic change for a strong and invincible Jordan of tomorrow, as Your Majesty wishes it to be, the government's comprehensive strategy, mentioned above, will be evolved into a clear working plan based on your kind guidance and profound vision. This working plan will set forth the required time frame, the funds needed for the implementation of the plan, and those put in charge of it. In this respect, a growth and development budget for next year will be prepared, taking into account your kind recommendations for improving the standard of living and for making good living available to all Jordanians: better healthcare and education, more training and job opportunities, and more social prosperity. This will agree with the new approach set down by Your Majesty concerning linking our economic and social plan with the preparation of the budget so that it reflects our comprehensive development policy and our move towards creating a qualitative change in performance, which was a national requirement in the past.
The plan will take into consideration the continuation of sound relations between the Cabinet and the Economic Consultative Council through the coordination between its specialised committees and the follow-up on the recommendations issued. At the centre of this plan and its agenda is the individual himself. For, as Your Majesty has often emphasised, the qualified Jordanian, who is able to understand the challenges of our era and to react to them, is our guarantee for the future. The Cabinet will spare no effort in supporting political freedom for all Jordanians and firmly establishing democracy within the nation of institutions and constitutions, by giving Jordanians opportunities to participate in the comprehensive development. The Cabinet will allow no one to stand in its way in its efforts to fight corruption and favouritism and to protect public funds and Jordan 's accomplishments achieved by the Hashemites over the decades. The motto of this Cabinet will be integrity, transparency, and boldness in innovation, development, and decision-making that will serve Jordan and its people.
The principles you stress, Your Majesty, light our path; they are the essence of our progress and we do not swerve from them. Jordan was and will always be a second home for our Palestinian brothers, until they gain their full rights in the independence of their state, whose capital is the holy city of Jerusalem . Jordan defends the rights of our Arab and Islamic nation of which it is only a part and, rooted in its Arab, Islamic, and Hashemite heritage, proud of its avant garde role in international issues. In this, it represents your own true, honest, and courageous stand.
Your wise and brave stand, Your Majesty, and your courage in protecting the causes of the two nations, Arab and Islamic, at international meetings, all these are objects of pride and admiration in the minds of your people and your nation. We will continue to look up to your guidance and support; we have been and are your loyal soldiers, proud of your wise leadership and attached to the soil of our beloved Jordan .
May God protect you, Your Majesty, and keep you for your people and your nation.
Peace, mercy, and God's blessings be upon you.
Your loyal servant,
Ali Abu al-Ragheb
Prime Minister
Amman , Sha'ban 11, 1422 Hijri
October 27, 2001 A.D.