Khaberni - Those who contemplate the chronicle of the Industrial City in Tafila are convinced that the tale is bigger than just a factory here or a privilege there; it is rather the tale of a governorate that still believes that work is dignity, and that investment is the major gateway to a life deserved by the villages, towns, and all the people of Tafila... those who have carried the nation on their shoulders for decades of patience. Yet, this city, which was supposed to be a fortress of development capable of igniting the economic cycle in Tafila, still moves slower than necessary, and rises on structures that need a higher spirit, more precise planning, and firmer implementation.
Why has the Industrial City in Tafila not emerged in the way it should have? This is a question recurring in the minds of the unemployed youth of Tafila, those who had pinned their hopes on this project to be the gateway to livelihood and the pathway to the future, instead of remaining a tortuous track between good intentions and a reality demanding an unwavering straightening grip.
The city possesses what makes it capable of competing: a vast area of up to 500 dunams with existing investments about 17 million dinars, and unique governmental incentives that are the strongest in the country
from reducing the price of land by 50% to only five dinars per square meter, to a three-year electricity exemption for new or expanding projects, and a 50% support in handling containers, a support that reduces production costs by up to a quarter of the cost, in addition to what is expected to attract about ten investors within two years and provide hundreds of jobs for the natives of the governorate. However, the question still hangs like clouds:
Where does the flaw lie?
The flaw, gentlemen, is not in the idea, as the idea is mature, nor in the incentives as they are unprecedented; but it lies in that gap between paper and reality, between what is announced and what is implemented, between the infrastructure that still needs completion, the logistics that suffer from clear shortcomings, and the roads that still narrow in front of the trucks instead of facilitating their movement fittingly for an industrial city wishing to compete with the Sahab Industrial City, the Hassan Industrial City in Irbid, and the King Hussein bin Abdullah II Industrial City in Karak.
While geographical distance is a fixed reality, it is no excuse. The competing industrial cities did not advance just because they are closer, but because they possess a transport and logistics system and integrated service facilities. Therefore, what is required today is not to rehash reasons, but to build realistic solutions starting with a responsible partnership with the Tafila Labour Directorate and the Directorate of Industry and Trade to provide regular and suitable transportation for workers and employees to and from, and to improve the quality of life and work, and increase productivity.
One cannot talk about revival without training the human resources. Tafila Technical University, with its workshops and engineering laboratories, and the Vocational Training Corporation as a fundamental partner in development, bear part of the national responsibility in practical application training, bridging the skill gap, and preparing the youth of Tafila to meet the needs of new factories through short programs that respond directly to market demand.
If infrastructure is the lifeblood of industry, then the road leading to the Industrial City needs appropriate expansion and rehabilitation, and here comes the central role of the Tafila Public Works Directorate, which has the responsibility to prepare a safe and smooth road fitting for truck movement and delivery, giving the investor a message of confidence that the surrounding environment is primed for work, not hindering movement or consuming time and effort.
The Ministry of Local Administration and the Greater Tafila Municipality must also be present in developing the surroundings of the Industrial City, through establishing kiosks, shops, cafés, and small services that serve workers, suppliers, and visitors, as these facilities are not luxuries; they are an essential part of the investment environment that gives the place a spirit not made by concrete alone.
On the level of basic services, the Tafila Water Contract Management is required to be present on the work line, to monitor, qualify, and ensure the readiness of water and sewage networks, as a factory does not operate if its infrastructure is disrupted, nor does it rise if its vital services falter.
And since trade and industry cannot function properly without facilitating the movement of goods, the presence of a customs point or office in or near the Industrial City is a vital element of efficiency, which shortens the clearance time, reduces costs, enhances investor competitiveness, and gives the Industrial City a quality advantage enhancing its regional appeal.
At the core of all this system comes a fact that cannot be overlooked: the government is directly involved in the file of attracting investors to the Industrial City in Tafila, and it has the primary role in leading this effort, preparing the environment, providing services, facilitating procedures, and effective promotion both domestically and internationally. The investor will not come by himself, but when he sees a government in action, an environment integrating, and a place deserving to invest his money and trust that his success will find those who preserve it.
For all these reasons, the revival is not created by one party alone. It requires the government, relevant ministries, directors of departments, deputies, dignitaries of Tafila, the Governorate Council, and experienced locals, to sit together at one table, in one spirit, with sincere intent, to launch a practical vision that can be implemented, to bring the Industrial City back on the right track, and move it from the stage of promises to the reality of serious work.
Tafila has never asked for more than it can handle; it only asks for what it deserves: an operational industrial city, not one that waits. A project that creates life, not just numbers on paper. A fair opportunity for its children, not just a title without substance.
And when the will is unified, efforts meet, and the vision aligns... The Industrial City in Tafila will rise from its slumber, becoming as its children hope: an economic lever for the south, a vibrant center of work, and a beacon fitting for a governorate that forged its men from the patience of the earth and the generosity of the mountain, and will compete with the industrial cities of Sahab, Irbid, and Karak with all confidence and competence..!!!
