Cabinet member Omar Razzaz, a Harvard-educated former senior World Bank official, replaced Hani Mulki, who quit Monday amid widening protests against his government’s austerity program, including a planned tax increase. Razzaz served as education minister in the outgoing Mulki government. The king retains final say on all policy issues, and presumably would also define the parameters of any economic and political reforms sought by Razzaz. Jordanian analyst Helmi Asmar said that it remains to be seen if Razzaz will receive a reform mandate. From 2006-2010, he served as the World Bank’s country manager in Lebanon, with emphasis on private sector development and infrastructure finance.

Source: Hindustan Times June 05, 2018 12:33 UTC