(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) DEAD SEA, Jordan, May 20 (KUNA) -- Speakers at a panel agreed Saturday that the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is in need of effective private-public partnership to achieve comprehensive socio-economic development.
The panel, themed "Towards Human-Centric Growth," is part of the World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa being hosted by Jordan.
In his speech, Dr. Bassem Awadhallah - CEO of the Dubai-based Tomoh Advisory, reviewed the main impediments to the development plans of the countries in the region.
The region failed over the last decades to follow an economic model that could realize inclusive development and involve the largest possible number of people in the planning for the future, the Jordanian economist said.
The Arab world has nearly 57 million jobless people and 35 people living under the poverty line in addition to the deteriorating standards of the healthcare and educational services and the underemployment at the public sector, he regretted.
Dr. Awadhallah called for popular participation in the making of economic and political decisions and focusing on the improvement of such vital sectors as education, energy and technology in order to achieve comprehensive development.
On his part, Eng. Majid Jafar, CEO of the UAE Crescent Petroleum Co., said that underemployment and poor utilization of women skills continue to be the main hurdles facing the quest for economic development in the region.
He estimated the average ratio of workforce at the public sector in the MENA countries at more than 60 percent and woman participation in economic activities at only one third compared to men's.
Failure to make better use of women skills in the public life risks undermining the quest for comprehensive socio-economic development, he warned.
Meanwhile, Lebanese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health Ghassan Hasbani called for an economic model that involves the broad spectrum of the community, builds the capacities of workers, and ensures fair access to quality educational, health and housing services.
Popular participation in planning for development and public-private partnerships could build efficient economies based on innovative thinking and good governance, he stressed. (pickup previous) mjb.gb
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