SANA’A, May 13, The World Bank is working to appoint a group of international advisors to help the Yemeni government create job opportunities to support comprehensive development within the two-year transitional period.   

Yemen’s Prime Minister, Mohammed Salem Basindawa, said in a private sector conference on Saturday that he received an official memorandum which nominated the international consultants. Mahathir Mohammed topped the list.  

Basindawa announced that the European Union (EU) would decide on similar appointments. He said that the EU intends to appoint economic experts, which include former prime ministers in European countries. The purpose of EU involvement is to assist the Yemeni government in boosting development and reviving the economy to spur sustainable economic growth.

Basindawa explained in his speech to Yemeni businessmen and private sector pioneers that his government asked the EU to send security experts to train Yemen’s policemen in order to create a safer investment climate throughout the country.

The prime minister also proposed joint authority between the private sector and Yemeni government to coordinate cooperation and partnership between the two sectors. The private sector’s economic conference similarly called for a joint committee between the two sides.

For their parts, representatives of the private sector called for investment in heavy-labor projects that generate more job opportunities for youth, who are involved in combatting corruption in the government.

At the conference, the private sector expressed its economic vision in terms of development priorities, which will be presented in a donors’ conference scheduled to take place at the end of May in Al-Riyadh.

The head of Economic Reform in Yemen (ERY), Ahmed Bazara, who is also a prominent Yemeni businessman, said at the public-private meeting that it plans to announce five development priorities in accordance with the private sector’s concerns in the two-year transitional period. This viewpoint is a culmination of previous meetings between the private sector in Sana’a, Aden, Al-Hodeida and Taiz governorates.

The vision of ERY aims to soften the impact of humanitarian, social and economic catastrophes as well as to nurture a safe investment climate.  

Regarding current widespread insecurity, the private sector proposed to form police and security centers nationwide and provide them with the means to create stability and reduce the carrying of weapons in cities.

On the humanitarian front, the private sector declared its adoption of Fund Relief, which aims to help victims of conflict by deploying relief convoys in cooperation with relief organizations to war-torn areas.

Private sector leaders also announced their willingness to invest in the agricultural and fishery sectors as well as the food industries in order guarantee food security.

Lastly, the private sector expressed its intention to train and qualify Yemeni workers to prepare them for international and regional job markets, and to set up employment and training centers to encourage youth participation in these areas.