The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in Palestine, in partnership with the Ministry of National Economy and the Investment Promotion and Industrial Estates Authority, organized, today, Tuesday, a roundtable meeting to discuss, evaluate and update the industrial strategy for the Jericho Agricultural Industrial Park (JAIP), at the Business Prosperity Center. (Balbro) in Jericho.
Representatives of the Ministry of National Economy, the Investment Promotion and Industrial Cities Authority, the administration of the Jericho Agro-Industrial Zone, factories operating in the region, and the private sector participated in the meeting, along with representatives of UNIDO and relevant partners.
The CEO of the Investment Promotion and Industrial Estates Authority, Ahmed Ragheb Al-Hajj Hassan, welcomed the participants in the meeting from the public and private sectors, explaining that the meeting falls within the framework of the activities carried out by UNIDO within its project to support the development of services in the Jericho Agricultural Industrial Zone, especially the Business Prosperity Center “Balbro”. “.
He pointed out that updating the strategy of the Jericho Agro-Industrial Zone for the coming years is one of the most prominent outcomes of the “Palpro” project, indicating that 75% of the area of the zone is still under development.
He stressed that the new strategic plan for the region will be an integral part of the general strategy of the Investment Promotion Authority and Industrial Estates, within the Palestinian government’s directions to support the industrial sector and develop the investment environment to attract more investments, which will advance the Palestinian economy.
For his part, UNIDO’s private sector development advisor, Bashir Al-Rayes, reviewed UNIDO’s approach to identifying growth drivers and facilitating fruitful exchanges among roundtable participants.
He explained the importance of developing an enabling development strategy capable of promoting innovative growth, creating comprehensive job opportunities, reducing the carbon footprint of the industrial sector, and increasing competitiveness.
The meeting participants worked to identify weak points based on their experiences and areas of expertise, which shed light on the factors that limit the effectiveness of the Jericho Agro-Industrial Zone. They also pointed out the opportunities whose exploitation would contribute to stimulating exports, creating new job opportunities, and improving complementarity between factories operating in the region.
In turn, the head of the UNIDO program office in Palestine, Ahmed Al-Farra, stressed that involving all stakeholders in discussing the strategic management of the Jericho Agro-Industrial Zone represents an opportunity to enhance its attractiveness on the one hand, and to promote stronger, more comprehensive and sustainable economic growth in Palestine as a whole.
He added: “The Jericho Agro-Industrial Zone represents a strategic opportunity to revitalize the Palestinian economy, foster innovation and facilitate trade exchange with other markets. The Palpro Business Prosperity Center already possesses the necessary components to strengthen industry value chains, better manage resources, and economic revitalization based on the cluster development approach.” “.
He pointed out that “participating in extensive discussions with all stakeholders in the Jericho Agro-Industrial Zone will enable us to harness our collective expertise to identify promising opportunities and effectively translate them into action on the ground.”
The Jericho Agro-Industrial Zone was established in 2012 in cooperation with the Palestinian National Authority, and with the support of the Japanese government within the “Peace and Prosperity Corridor” initiative.
Through its infrastructure, the industrial zone provides competitive facilities and services to the factories it contains, which operate primarily in the food and beverage sector. It also promotes a sustainable economic development framework that encourages value chain integration and stimulates competitiveness through building innovative capabilities and effective management of energy and materials. Raw materials and resources
Source: Maan News Agency
