sale of government land
I have been thinking a lot lately about the stories of the sales of government land. It seems to me that we have to push forward with the times and take advantage of the economic investment boom BUT there are times when money is not the most important reason one should take into consideration when selling land.
The King Hussein Army Hospital is one example. It is a symbol of Jordan and a matter of pride to most Jordanians. Although King Abdullah gave many good reasons as to why the sale could be an advantage to Jordan with the building of a new hospital complex and the investment of many millions of dinars etc, I still believe this particular sale should be a no no. We all know that the hospital is facing severe difficulties with out of date buildings, overcrowding etc and that many options are being discussed, but whenever I drive past I feel a sense of history and think it would be a great shame to lose that. Where do we draw the line? T
The King Hussein Army Hospital is one example. It is a symbol of Jordan and a matter of pride to most Jordanians. Although King Abdullah gave many good reasons as to why the sale could be an advantage to Jordan with the building of a new hospital complex and the investment of many millions of dinars etc, I still believe this particular sale should be a no no. We all know that the hospital is facing severe difficulties with out of date buildings, overcrowding etc and that many options are being discussed, but whenever I drive past I feel a sense of history and think it would be a great shame to lose that. Where do we draw the line? T
posted by joladies at Wednesday, July 16, 2008
5 Comments:
It's not about selling government land, investors cannot pack the land and fly with it to somewhere else, the land will remain a Jordanian soil and all talks about selling government lands is like selling the country is very incorrect.
To me it's about the government being transparent or not on how they are going to use the money and how they are going to prevent any fraud and actually send anyone who steal or even try to in a life long journey in jail.
The thing is, people starve for information and if you don't give it to them they will make their own
I absolutely agree with you Jad, the lack of information just feeds the rumour mills and I would like to know where the money is going. And it is true the land remains here, no one can take it to another country! But, in my opinion, there are a some things that should not be up for grabs. T
I think there is another element in the sale of government land to foreign investors that you haven't mentioned. Jordanians bidding on government land cannot compete with foreign investors so most development projects are now going to outsiders rather than citizens. This certainly is an unfortunate situation for Jordanian pride and growth.
ASH
T,
I agree with you but sometimes we have to compromise but that's negotiable only if we know where the money is going.
ASH,
Believe me with new generation places and names values changes; I grow up in First Circle, Jabal Amman, I love that place but now it's different and I can never live there again.
On the other hand I believe that there is some Jordanian and/or Arabs who can compete with foreign investors but can they innovate and make real changes on the map? no.
Anyway, I agree with you but facing reality says we will not be able to compete with them in the seen twenty financial year and thus we have to go with the flow.
joHi guys I'm back ! and isn't this a topic we all love, so here are my thoughts for what they are worth on a very sensitive issue ... has anyone given cultural value a thought? Transparency in government is one thing .... but cultural heritage is quite another and it is something that is not given adequate attention. It reflects the identity of a nation and needs to be recognised and preserved for the value it gives to future generations. For without that little bit of history, the national soul that underpins the culture of a nation, alongside economic development, something special will be lost for good.
Selling off Jordanian assets that belong not just to government but to the people too, is like the British Government deciding it needs more funds to finance its wars around the world and settle it's national debt and thus decides to sell off Hyde Park Corner and Regent's Park to the highest private bidder .... there would be blood indeed! J
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