Participants in today’s consultative meeting between the Yemen’ IRG and private sector discussed expediting the completion of procedures to establish a legal framework regulating public-private partnerships (PPP), stressing the importance of reviewing and updating the draft PPP law to reflect economic and institutional developments and provide a clear framework that safeguards the rights of the government, private sector, and investors.
The meeting, organized today, Sunday, by the Studies and Economic Media Center (SEMC) via Zoom in its capacity as the Secretariat of the Economic Reforms Team (ERT), was held under the patronage of Minister of Industry and Trade Mr. Mohammed Al-Ashwal. It was attended by Dr. Abdullah Bawazir, Head of the Public-Private Partnership Unit (Technical Unit); Ahmed Bazara, Head of the ERT; and a number of heads of chambers of commerce and industry and private-sector representatives.
Participants discussed ways to strengthen coordination and integration between the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) track for projects and investment and the Public-Private Dialogue (PPD) track on policies, economic reform, and improving the business environment. They also discussed requirements for activating the Joint Committee, its working mechanism, and its relationship with the Technical PPP Unit and the Higher Ministerial PPP Committee.
The meeting aimed to discuss practical steps for the next phase, including completing the regulatory and institutional frameworks governing the work of the Technical Unit and Joint Committee, following up on procedures related to the issuance of a Cabinet decision establishing the Joint Committee under the chairmanship of the Minister of Industry and Trade, and agreeing on a work matrix defining priorities, actions, responsibilities, and expected outputs for the coming phase.
Minister of Industry and Trade said the meeting represents an important step toward strengthening the partnership between the government and private sector and institutionalizing dialogue on economic issues and the business environment. He stressed that the challenges facing the country cannot be addressed by either the government or private sector independently but require a genuine and responsible partnership between the two sides.
Al-Ashwal affirmed that the government views the private sector as a key partner in the national economy, noting that the government’s responsibility is to provide a conducive environment for business and investment through clear policies, stable procedures, improved legislation and services, and addressing obstacles. He stressed the need to move dialogue beyond presenting demands toward developing solutions and translating its outcomes into actionable decisions and measures.
For his part, Dr. Abdullah Bawazir, Head of the Public-Private Partnership Unit, reviewed developments in the government and institutional framework for PPPs. He referred to Cabinet Resolution No. 24 of 2025 on the PPP Policy, Prime Ministerial Resolution No. 7 of 2026 establishing the PPP Unit, and Resolution No. 32 of 2026 appointing its members.
Bawazir said the next phase represents a transition from building the institutional framework to implementing projects. He confirmed that the Technical Unit is working to complete the legislative, regulatory, and institutional framework for PPPs, noting that the success of the program requires a strong and active private sector and investors who have confidence in the legal and institutional environment. He also emphasized the importance of the Joint Committee in strengthening institutional dialogue, improving the business and investment environment, addressing challenges facing the private sector, and supporting economic reforms.
For his part, Ahmed Bazara, Head of the ERT, stressed the importance of transforming economic dialogue between the Yemeni government and private sector into a permanent institutional mechanism with clear mandates and references that contributes to economic policymaking, removes investment barriers, and restores trust between the two sides.
Bazara said the Joint Committee’s role should go beyond holding meetings to include participation in policymaking and legislative processes, assessing their impact on businesses, monitoring and addressing private-sector complaints and obstacles, and following up on reform implementation through an updated national matrix. He also highlighted the need to reduce levies, improve the business environment, and strengthen the confidence of the business community and investors.
Participants discussed several challenges facing the private sector, foremost among them the multiplicity of fees, levies, and procedures and their impact on trade and investment flows. They also highlighted the need for broader private-sector participation in economic policymaking and decision-making, particularly on issues related to reconstruction, project financing, and investment.
The discussion also addressed the draft Public-Private Partnership Law prepared in 2014. Participants stressed the importance of reviewing and updating the draft to reflect economic and institutional developments, with the participation of private-sector representatives, in order to ensure a clear legal framework that safeguards the rights of all parties and strengthens investor confidence.
At the conclusion of the meeting, participants emphasized the importance of completing the official procedures for establishing the Joint Committee and clearly defining the roles and responsibilities of the Ministerial PPP Committee, the PPP Unit, and the Joint Government-Private Sector Dialogue Committee, ensuring coordination among these tracks and preventing overlapping mandates.
The meeting was attended by the heads of the main chambers of commerce and industry, the leadership of the ERT, and private-sector representatives serving on the Joint Government-Private Sector Committee.