Jordanian Minister of Labor Ali al-Ghazawi stressed on Thursday that the competitiveness of the industrial sector was based on increasing the local added value, introducing technology and relying on local labor, in addition to marketing. During the launch of the “Made in Jordan” campaign by the Amman Chamber of Industry, Ghazawi underlined the need to maintain the strengthening of vocational training in order to create a qualified and trained Jordanian labor force in various industrial fields. He also pointed to “the importance of granting special attention to the national industry”, noting that the Jordanian legislation greatly protects the local industry and provides the adequate environment to promote and achieve prosperity. Ghazawi emphasized the importance of partnership between the public and private sectors, especially within Jordan’s industrial sector, which he said was a “major driver of economic growth and a generator of sustainable employment.” The minister talked about the “National Program for Empowerment and Employment”, to which the government allocated about 100 million dinars (about $ 140 million), targeting several sectors. The head of “Made in Jordan” campaign, Moussa al-Saket, said that the new campaign was a culmination of the Chamber’s policy to support and develop the national industry, pointing out that the sector was one of the pillars of national economy and an important factor of its progress. The industrial sector “contributes to about a quarter of the GDP, in addition to supporting other economic sectors... it also provides the balance of payments with more than $7 billion in exports and investment. The national industry employs about 230,000 workers, who support more than one million citizens. The employees receive more than one billion dinars a year in salaries and compensation.”