President El-Sisi Meets with PM and Several Ministers

Politics

President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met on Tuesday 1/6/2021 with Prime Minister Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, Minister of Planning and Economic Development Dr. Hala El-Said, Minister of Finance Dr. Mohamed Maait, Minister of Communications and Information Technology Dr. Amr Talaat, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Mr. Al-Sayed El-Quseir and Minister of Trade and Industry Ms. Nevine Gamea.

The Spokesman for the Egyptian Presidency stated that the meeting discussed the national program for structural reforms within the framework of the “Egypt Vision 2030” strategy.

The meeting discussed the program representing the second stage of the economic and social reform process, which aims to transform the Egyptian economy into a productive one with competitive advantages. This is to be done by focusing on the promising sectors, thus supporting economic ability to achieve a balanced and sustainable growth.

The high-priority economic sectors in the structural reform program were also reviewed, especially in the field of technology-intensive manufacturing industries, the agricultural sector, and the communications and information technology sector, via focusing on a number of main axes in those sectors.

These axes include developing the legislative system, facilitating government transactions, boosting transport and logistics efficiency, and deepening financial inclusion, within the framework of the government’s commitment to achieving economic reforms taking into account the humanitarian aspect.

This was reflected in many social protection initiatives targeting the most needy groups, as part of the state’s unprecedented efforts to work on a large, integrated scale among all state institutions, the private sector, civil society, and development partners in Egypt to achieve these targets.

The President instructed the government to continue its efforts in structural reforms, especially those related to the development of manpower and basic services for citizens, particularly by pursuing efforts to provide social security coverage and encourage family development.

The President also underlined the importance of developing technical education and vocational training systems, improving the health and education sectors, strengthening the role of the private sector, promoting financial inclusion and providing financing. Hence, these additional axes would serve as a support for the main areas sought to be achieved by the national program.

The Spokesman added that the meeting also addressed the strategic objectives of the industry, agriculture and telecommunications sectors.

In this respect, the structural reform of industry aims to raise investment rates in the manufacturing sector and focuses on localizing and deepening industry, promoting industrial exports, creating new job opportunities, and supporting small and medium industries.

During the past few years, a remarkable improvement was seen in the percentage of the products with an outstanding technological value in the structure of Egyptian exports.

With regard to the agricultural sector, its strategic objectives are to achieve sustainable food security, increase the sector’s productivity and contribution to the GDP, enhance exports of agricultural products, create new job opportunities, and raise the incomes of small farmers.

Modernization and digital transformation in the agricultural sector, which will witness the launch of a set of electronic platforms for agricultural services to citizens, are also sought to be achieved.

The most prominent strategic objectives of the communications and information technology sector, when it comes structural reforms, are to increase the sector’s contribution to GDP, accelerate the pace of digitization in all sectors of government service, develop the sector’s export capacity as well as e-government services, and provide job opportunities to enhance skills in preparation for future occupations.

The President directed that the expansion of optical fiber networks be supported to keep pace with the ongoing development in this field and to enhance the speed of transmitting, receiving and securing information.

Furthermore, the President commanded that the transition to a green economy should continue to be supported via relying on clean energy and that efforts be strengthened to promote national industry so as to bring down the cost of importing, thus developing the industrial sector in Egypt, providing more job opportunities and increasing the domestic product.

The President also instructed that agro-industries be promoted due to their diversified returns to the economy and society.

Source: State Information Service Egypt