News

AMMAN---- February 27, 2014 ------ The Economic Policy Development Forum (EPDF) hosted His Excellency Mr. Aqel Biltaji, Mayor of Amman in a discussion session under the title, "The Municipality of Amman’s Vision for Better Serving Amman," at the Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Knowledge Forum .

HE Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, chairman of the Forum, former ministers, government officials, civil society leaders, and academics, in addition to youths, students of the Jubilee School, and media representatives attended the event.

HE Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh welcomed the Mayor and highlighted his effort and work saying: “We will see, during Mr. Biltaji's tenure, a new municipality in terms of its performance, services, and efforts towards modernization."

Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh stated that the ongoing shift towards performing duties electronically, and towards an electronic government, constitutes a tool capable of eradicating corruption, and he offered the potential and experience of the Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization at the service of achieving that goal.

The Mayor thanked Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh saying "knowledge is everything."

The Mayor announced that the Municipality started to take steps towards developing Amman's public transportation system as one important solution to ease traffic congestion in the capital, where the number of vehicles reaches 1,800,000 during rush hour, and citizens are averse to using methods of public transportation, preferring private vehicles.

He also revealed that the Municipality requested proposals for parking lots located on the streets. The Municipality also preferred to find lots for vehicles, often parked for long hours, in for-profit buildings. Mr. Biltaji noted that the Municipality recently provided a 5.3 dunams free parking lot on Wasfi al-Tel Street.

The Mayor clarified that the municipality has elevated the level of supervision over the following sectors: health, the environment, traffic, and planning, in order to prevent and correct any violations, and he noted that the lack of supervision over these areas has contributed to the disfigurement of the capital's civilized image, and negatively impacted citizens' lives. Likewise, the Mayor touched on the most important areas of work for the Municipality over the coming period, including the environment, health, planning and international cooperation, organization, investment, Amman's identity, the Municipality's structure, and its financial situation. He noted that the developments related to these areas will be implemented over the next three years, a process which will improve the services offered to citizens, gain their satisfaction, and reflect positively on the city's current reality and future.

The Mayor stated that the municipality strives to "humanize the city," by means of the programs which it implements and the services it provides, so that Amman will be a friend and sister to its citizens, visitors and tourists. Likewise, it strives for the renewal of Amman's cultural identity, and its civilization and heritage, which have nearly been destroyed through the recent chaos, violations, and infringements on the sidewalks and streets, especially in the city center. The Mayor clarified that he works from the perspective of a citizen, in terms of what he hopes the Municipality will present to the city and what he demands from it, and from the perspective of the mayor appointed to serve the city.

He added, "Amman, with her historical depth which extends over 12,000 years, and the variety of civilizations which have called her home, demands serious work from all in order to regain her brilliance, a pro