Access to Microfinance and Improved Implementation of Policy Reform

The central objective of the Access to Microfinance and Improved Implementation of Policy Reform (AMIR I and II) project was to promote economic growth and prosperity in Jordan through the development of a more favorable environment for business, one that stimulated increased investment and enabled Jordan's private sector to meet the challenges of economic globalization. The program was implemented in partnership with various ministries and departments in the Government of Jordan, the Jordanian private sector, and several NGOs. AMIR I program goals were accomplished through three primary strategies:

• To increase the sustainable delivery of financial services to micro-entrepreneurs, especially small businesses and female entrepreneurs
• To assist the Jordanian government in implementing policy reforms designed to stimulate private sector growth, increase investment, and integrate Jordan into the global economy
• To improve the implementation of policy reform by strengthening the demand-side of reform through policy analysis, advocacy, and public relations efforts by private sector business associations.

The goal of AMIR II was to promote economic growth and prosperity for all Jordanians by developing a more market-friendly environment for broad-based economic opportunity and business expansion. AMIR II was designed to help Jordan achieve the capacity for sustained, higher economic growth rates that were equitable, that generated employment, and that were led by the private sector. In doing so, AMIR II directly supported broad-based, market-oriented growth accompanied by expanding investment, improving standards of living, and enhanced economic opportunities for all Jordanians.