His Majesty King Abdullah on Thursday directed the government to expedite work on political reform laws and focus in parallel on improving services that directly impact citizens’ lives such as health and education.

Chairing part of the Cabinet meeting, His Majesty stressed that people want to see real achievements made in accordance with set timetables.

The King directed the government to share its plans, programmes and achievements with the public to enhance communication with the people and embed the principle of transparency in state administration.

King Abdullah called on the government to hold some Cabinet meetings in the governorates in order to be in direct contact with citizens and meet their demands as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile, His Majesty noted that it is the government’s job to follow up on and implement Royal initiatives launched during his visits to governorates aimed at ensuring fair distribution of development gains. In this regard, the King cited the need to start the implementation of projects through the governorates development fund as soon as possible so that people can feel the positive impact of these projects on their lives.

During a visit to Salt in July, the King instructed the government to establish a JD150 million fund in partnership with the private sector to help implement development projects in various governorates.

The King called on all officials, in their various capacities, to go to the field to be closely acquainted with people’s needs.

“There are several complaints that some officials are reluctant to take prompt and necessary decisions,” the King said, adding that those who accept to be in position of responsibility must shoulder the burden and take appropriate decisions.

His Majesty urged the government to activate the role of executive departments in governorates as they are the closest to the field and best aware of people’s needs, stressing the need to delegate more authority to the directors of these departments to enable them to carry out their work effectively and efficiently.

The King recognised efforts exerted by the prime minister, adding he is aware of the challenges facing the Kingdom, particularly in the economic field.

Highlighting the importance of infrastructure in achieving economic growth, the King stressed the need to prioritise government spending, with focus on vital sectors such as education and tourism. His Majesty said priority should be given to the construction of railways to facilitate the movement of citizens across the Kingdom.

During the meeting, the King listened to a presentation by Prime Minister Awn Khasawneh on political reform, vowing to produce well-drafted laws that meet international standards, especially on the independent commission to oversee elections. Khasawneh noted that the government will benefit from the expertise of advanced countries in this field, particularly France, Germany and Spain.

Minister of Justice Salim Al Zoubi presented a briefing on the measures taken by the government in the field of political reform. He noted that the government is committed to presenting the independent election commission law to the Lower House by the end of this year.

The government will refer the political parties, constitutional court and elections laws to the Lower House in January, February and March respectively, Zoubi said, noting that the government is working to finalise other laws such as the administrative judiciary law.

The King also listened to briefings by several ministers on the plans and programmes of their ministries to increase the quality of services provided to citizens, create more job opportunities and enhance the development process in governorates.