AMMAN, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development signed an agreement with Jordan Thursday to reschedule Jordan's debt of 300 million U.S. dollars for 40 years, with 15 years grace period.
The deal will help reduce the burden on Jordan and seeks to help the country overcome pressing challenges due to regional instability and negative consequences on the economy, Jordanian Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation said in a statement.
Ziad Obeidat, the ministry's acting secretary general, voiced appreciation to Kuwait for the deal, adding that it will help Jordan that is facing high public debt.
"Jordan is currently facing several financial challenges due to many issue including the influx of large numbers of Syrian refugees and the regional conditions and this deal will support Jordan's reform efforts," he said.
Kuwaiti officials voiced their support to Jordan, pledging continued support to help the country overcome challenges.
Jordan's public debt reached JD 26.6 billion during the first seven months of this year, compared to JD 25.4 billion at the end of 2017.
The country's economy is expected to grow by 1.8 percent at the end of the year, which experts believe is insufficient to create more jobs. Jordan's unemployment rate was 18.7 percent during the second quarter of 2018.
