Today, the Minister of Public Works and Housing, Engineer Maher Abu Al-Samman, received in his office the President of the Jordanian Contractors Syndicate, Fouad Al-Duwairi, in the presence of the Ministry’s Secretary-General, Dr. Jamal Qutaishat, and several department directors.
At the beginning of the meeting, Abu Al-Samman emphasized the government’s openness to syndicates and its willingness to cooperate with them in various fields. He praised the important national role of Jordanian contractors in driving the economy, noting that the contracting sector is one of the main pillars of the national economy, and affirmed the Ministry’s support for the Syndicate and contractors in all ways that serve the public interest.
He stated that the Contractors Syndicate is an important strategic partner for the Ministry, stressing the necessity of continuing joint cooperation between the Ministry and the Syndicate to develop the contracting sector, prepare necessary plans, manage tenders to ensure execution according to specifications, technical codes, and timelines, and activate the role of all contract parties within their responsibilities.
Abu Al-Samman directed the activation of the Supreme Committee to study the challenges and problems facing the contracting sector, emphasizing the need for monthly meetings to follow up on issues promptly, and confirmed that the Ministry works to remove all obstacles facing projects.
He added that the Ministry is keen to support Jordanian contractors and contracting companies in exporting their work abroad, and directed the commencement of contractor payments based on priority in the coming days. He also discussed mechanisms for settling debts of decentralization projects due since 2023, coordinating with the Ministry of Local Administration, governorate councils, and the Ministry of Finance to pay contractors’ dues.
Abu Al-Samman praised the Syndicate’s role in committees for contractor classification, licensing, qualification, price adjustments, and inspection committees for reconstruction projects within the National Construction Council. He confirmed that the Ministry, in cooperation with the Contractors Syndicate, will review the basis for deductions and contract certification conditions.
The meeting addressed several challenges faced by contractors in executing road and building projects. Agreements were made to provide mechanisms to continue work on projects funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and to resolve obstacles related to asphalt supply for road projects, with coordination with relevant authorities to secure this material.
For his part, Syndicate President Fouad Al-Duwairi appreciated the Minister’s support and his keenness to hold this meeting at a time when challenges to the sector are increasing, emphasizing that joint work and continuous coordination aim to overcome difficulties and problems facing the construction sector in general and contractors in particular.
Al-Duwairi reviewed the main challenges and issues facing Jordanian contractors, highlighting the importance of enhancing coordination with the Ministry to find solutions to support the contracting sector in facing these challenges.
He called for the Syndicate’s involvement in drafting legislation and laws to regulate and elevate the profession across various fields, in coordination with the Ministry of Public Works, and for approving a regulation to organize work in the private sector. He noted that the Supreme Committee meets regularly to develop the construction sector and resolve issues and obstacles in some projects.
Al-Duwairi also highlighted that the multiple guarantees required from contractors by several official entities when executing tenders, particularly water projects, impose additional financial burdens on contractors.