Government incentives to information technology companies have been ongoing for the last four years, which made the sector attractive to investors, Information and Communications Technology Association of Jordan (int@j) Board of Directors Chairman Bashar Hawamdeh said.
He said in an interview with Petra Saturday that the IT sector is exempt from the sales tax, and that Int@j has managed to reduce the income tax from 20% to 5%, and the export sales tax to zero, adding that there are also no taxes on exports, products or inputs.
Further, inputs of raw materials used in appliances and furniture are exempted from customs, and these incentives plus legislation helped to stabilize and galvanize the sector and make it more attractive, said Hawamdeh.
He also said that cooperation between Int@j and the Jordan Entrepreneurship Fund was a shot in the arm to startups, as $100 million has been allotted to help investment funds, attract foreign investors and support startups.
He said an employment programme for IT graduates implemented by the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship needed to retrain graduates to find suitable jobs.
Hawamdeh also noted the launch of the first cybersecurity incubator in Jordan “Hemaya Tech”, which is managed by int@j and the Startups Council of Jordan (@startupjo) in partnership with Zain Jordan, and Zinc Incubator, with the support of the entrepreneurship fund.
He also pointed to the formation of a cross-government digital transformation committee whose key task is to follow up on the digitalization strategy and plans, regardless of the change of governments and ministers, and build on achievements.
Source: Jordan News Agency