Impact of Projects Funded by Development and Employment Fund on Borrowers in Jordan: A Socio-Economic Study

Abstract

The study aims at identifying the role played by the Development and Employment Fund in Jordan to reduce problems of poverty and unemployment through loans provided in various Governorates of the Kingdom. At the same time, it aims to know what job opportunities provided by these small funded projects for borrowers at the family and community level, as well as trying to identify the investment opportunities offered by these projects, especially for Jordanian women in the urban, rural and nomadic areas. In order to achieve these objectives, the contents of the data related to projects financed by DEF for 2013 and 2014 were analysed. Study results revealed that small funded enterprises contributed in mitigating poverty and unemployment levels at funded governorates. In more details, it showed that the highest percentage of employment opportunities provided by the loans was in Amman and women benefited more than men from these loans. In light of these results, the study recommends the establishment of marketing institutions for the industrial, agricultural and handicraft products created by these small projects, and also to stimulate the borrowers with nominal tax benefits, and to provide programs for borrowers to sustain and expand their projects.