As part of ongoing efforts to advance Jordan’s trade facilitation reforms, the Reform Secretariat at the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, in collaboration with the World Bank and the Jordan Customs Department (JCD), organized a field visit to the New Amman Customs (Madouneh) on Monday, 3 November 2025. The visit aimed to showcase the progress achieved and the impact of projects financed through the Jordan Jordan Growth MDTF. 

Representatives from the Governments of the Netherlands, Norway, Germany, Canada, and Switzerland, contributors to the Jordan Growth MDTF, joined the visit, alongside senior officials from JCD, the World Bank, and MoPIC.  

In his opening remarks, Lt. Gen. Ahmad Al Akalik, Director General of the Jordan Customs Department, expressed appreciation for the strong partnership between JCD, MoPIC, the World Bank, and donor countries, noting that this collaboration has significantly contributed to advancing customs modernization and improving the overall business environment.  

He emphasized that, “with the support of the Jordan Growth MDTF, several studies and projects have been implemented in recent years to enhance institutional performance and achieve national goals, particularly facilitating trade, attracting investment, and modernizing risk management systems to serve both JCD and other regulatory agencies through the application of advanced technologies based on artificial intelligence and data science.” 

During the visit, the JCD team presented an overview of the main projects supported through the Jordan Growth MDTF, including the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) module, the National Single Window (NSW) gap analysis, highlighting the recommendations of the trade facilitation and gender study, the Post Clearance Audit (PCA) assessment, Time Release Study Plus (TRS+), and the ongoing development of the Integrated Risk Management System (IRMS).  

For his part, Thamer Shoshan, Deputy Director of the Reform Secretariat, stated, “Reform is a journey, and what we see today is reform in action, a reflection of strong partnership and shared commitment. Together with the Jordan Customs Department, the World Bank, and our donor partners under the Jordan Growth MDTF, we are advancing toward a smarter, more efficient customs system that enhances trade facilitation, supports the private sector, and aligns with Jordan’s Economic Modernization Vision.”

Representatives from the private sector also shared their firsthand testimonials on how on how these reforms have simplified clearance procedures, reduced processing times, and improved predictability, enabling smoother and more transparent trade operations. 

The visit underscored the strong partnership between the Reform Secretariat at MoPIC, the World Bank, and the Jordan Customs Department under the framework of the Jordan Growth MDTF, which continues to support Jordan’s reform priorities in line with the Reform Matrix and the Economic Modernization Vision. Together, these efforts are reinforcing Jordan’s position as a competitive and reliable trade and logistics hub in the region. 

📷 Access photos: MDTF JCD Field Visit | Flicker