His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday chaired a meeting at Al Husseiniya Palace to follow up on the Greater Amman Municipality’s (GAM) plans and programmes in investment, public transport, e-services, and the business environment.

During the meeting, attended by Prime Minister Hani Mulki, King Abdullah said GAM’s development plans must enhance the level of services offered to citizens and investors, arriving at a better, sustainable future for Amman.

His Majesty called for maintaining coordination between GAM and government institutions, as well as expanding cooperation with the private sector and civil society institutions.

The King urged improving public transport services, which can help stimulate economic growth.

Amman must offer a comprehensive model of public transport services that can be replicated in other governorates, His Majesty added.

Active partnership with the private sector is key to ensuring the success of development projects, the King said, calling for prioritising investments to develop areas in East Amman.

Amman Mayor Yousef Shawarbeh presented a briefing on the measures taken so far by GAM to implement investment plans, including the establishment of a private joint stock company to be the municipality’s investment arm.

The company will prepare an investment map of Amman and develop GAM’s assets through investment, Shawarbeh said, adding that it will also work on development and investment projects, while also streamlining investment measures and creating partnerships with the private sector.

GAM, through its investment arm, has also established a special company to develop public transport, the mayor said, noting that 100 buses have been bought, with plans to raise their number to 286 by 2020.

The buses will be operated in partnership with the private sector, he continued.

GAM is also working on the final stages of the first phase of the Bus Rapid Transit project, according to Shawarbeh, who expected infrastructure-related work on the project to be complete in the first half of 2020.

Turning to e-services, he said the procedures for 122 services provided by GAM have been re-engineered and are expected to be automated by 2020.

In 2017, 18 services were automated, with plans to automate 42 others this year, followed by 35 in 2019, and 27 in 2020, the mayor added.