Jordan's prime minister reshuffled his Cabinet on Thursday, the latest in a series of institutional shakeups in recent weeks that officials describe as an effort to meet the kingdom's mounting challenges. The reshuffle by Premier Omar Al-Razzaz, his third since taking office almost a year ago, affected eight ministers but also left key portfolios in place, including those of finance and foreign affairs. It comes on the heels of leadership changes in the powerful General Intelligence Department (GID). King Abdallah appointed General Ahmed Husni last week to head the agency after dismissing his predecessor. The king had days before approved a restructuring of his own office within the royal palace, bringing in new faces that expanded his team of senior advisers. These changes coincide with sluggish economic growth. Officials say Thursday's government reshuffle will also solidify Al-Razzaz's mandate to accelerate economic reforms, seen as crucial to spur growth in the debt-straddled country. "We are going through a situation filled with challenges," Al-Razzaz said in comments after the new Cabinet lineup. The former World Bank economist took office last June at the height of a political crisis that saw some of the largest protests in years over IMF-driven austerity measures including steep tax hikes that critics say hit the middle class. He has faced criticism from the conservative establishment that dominates parliament, which accuses him of a pro-Western reform agenda promoting harsh IMF measures. Al-Razzaz has defended the IMF-backed reforms, saying Jordan can no longer afford to sustain a large bloated public sector whose salaries eat up the $13 billion budget with an economy burdened with a record public debt of around $40 billion. — Reuters
