His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday chaired a follow-up meeting on public sector reform programmes.

King Abdullah was briefed on progress in plans and measures to develop the public sector and implement the e-government programme.

His Majesty called for implementing public sector reform without delay, stressing that this is a priority at this stage.

The King urged the government to identify measurable goals for each sector, stressing the importance of coordinating efforts and ensuring that all ministries and institutions are committed to these goals at all levels.

Regular assessment of public administration and holding officials accountable based on clear performance indicators are also important steps, His Majesty affirmed.

Prime Minister Hani Mulki presented a briefing on government plans and measures to improve public sector performance by mitigating bureaucracy and ensuring higher efficiency in service provision, arriving at a transparent, slim public sector that serves citizens in line with His Majesty’s vision.

Mulki outlined the main challenges facing implementation and highlighted the amendments introduced to the civil service by-law to enhance performance.

The government will also launch a programme in the coming months to train and qualify employees in leading positions over 18 months, the prime minister said, adding that a unit to follow up on performance will also be activated at the Prime Ministry.

Also speaking at the meeting, Minister of ICT and Minister of Public Sector Development Majd Shweikeh said the government has been working on building public-private sector partnerships to continue implementing the e-government programme.

Nearly 33 government services were automated last year, she said, while 158 other services will be automated this year.

In addition, the government seeks to automate 139 services in 2019, and 293 services in 2020, Shweikeh added.

Royal Hashemite Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh and Director of the Office of His Majesty Jafar Hassan attended the meeting.