Latest news with #MinistryofLocalDevelopment
CairoScene
3 days ago
- Business
- CairoScene
6,000 Projects Completed in Upper Egypt With EGP 32 Billion Investment
The Upper Egypt Local Development Programme has improved infrastructure and services for over 8 million residents. May 30, 2025 The Ministry of Local Development has announced the completion of more than 6,000 development projects in Upper Egypt, with total investments exceeding EGP 32 billion. These initiatives, part of the Upper Egypt Local Development Programme launched in 2018, have enhanced infrastructure and public services for approximately 8.2 million citizens in the governorates of Sohag, Qena, Minya, and Assiut. The projects have focused on key sectors such as roads, sanitation, and electricity. Notably, 40% of the investments have been allocated to economic development and institutional capacity-building at local and technological levels. The programme has also advanced Egypt's decentralisation agenda and increased private sector participation, benefiting over 72,000 companies. Surveys indicate that around 85% of business owners reported satisfaction with the support provided, reflecting positively on the government's broader 2024–2027 national reform plan. The World Bank reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Egypt's efforts to enhance the business climate, digitise local services, and replicate successful models, particularly the economic cluster approach, in other governorates. Twelve economic clusters have already been implemented, with most nearing completion and full rollout anticipated by October 2025.
Daily News Egypt
6 days ago
- Business
- Daily News Egypt
Over 6,000 projects completed in Upper Egypt with EGP 32bn Investment: Local Development Minister
Manal Awad, Egypt's Minister of Local Development, met with a World Bank delegation to assess progress in the Upper Egypt Local Development Programme and explore ways to strengthen the region's business environment and private sector engagement. The delegation included Elin Olafsen, Senior Private Sector Specialist, and Zeeshan Karim, Senior Urban Specialist, along with other World Bank representatives. Also in attendance were Hisham El-Helbawy, the Minister's Assistant for National Projects and Director of the Upper Egypt Programme, and members of the programme's coordination office. Awad highlighted the longstanding partnership with the World Bank since the programme's launch in 2018, expressing gratitude for the Bank's continued support, which has led to substantial achievements across key governorates. She described the initiative as a flagship model of development cooperation between Egypt and the World Bank. To date, the programme has implemented more than 6,000 projects with total investments exceeding EGP 32bn, directly improving infrastructure and public services for approximately 8.2 million citizens in Sohag, Qena, Minya, and Assiut. Key focus areas include roads, sanitation, and electricity, with 40% of investments directed toward economic development and institutional capacity-building at the local and technological levels. Awad noted that the programme provides a scalable model for development across other governorates. The initiative has also advanced Egypt's decentralisation agenda and significantly increased private sector participation, benefiting over 72,000 companies. Surveys show that around 85% of business owners reported satisfaction with the programme's support—an encouraging sign for the government's wider 2024–2027 national reform plan. El-Helbawy provided updates on the World Bank delegation's recent field activities, including site visits in the four governorates, consultations with governors, and meetings with ministry officials. Discussions focused on enhancing infrastructure in industrial zones and supporting economic clusters in Qena and Sohag. He also pointed to tangible improvements in industrial zone management, service delivery, private sector engagement, and local revenue generation. Elin Olafsen praised the programme's role in boosting regional competitiveness, highlighting her visits to the medicinal and aromatic plants cluster in Qena and the industrial zone in Qeft. She commended the strong coordination between the Ministry of Local Development and the Industrial Development Authority in fostering growth in Upper Egypt's industrial sector. Olafsen reaffirmed the World Bank's commitment to supporting Egypt's efforts to enhance the business climate, digitise local services, and replicate successful models—particularly the economic cluster approach—in other governorates. The Bank's representatives expressed strong support for the cluster-based strategy, noting that 12 economic clusters have already been implemented, with most nearing completion. Full rollout is anticipated by October 2025. Zeeshan Karim described the Upper Egypt programme as one of the World Bank's most impactful initiatives in Egypt. She highlighted its achievements in local governance, job creation, and economic development, and reiterated the Bank's dedication to supporting Egypt's broader goals of decentralisation and sustainable urban and economic growth.
Al-Ahram Weekly
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Communicating with people - Egypt - Al-Ahram Weekly
A new initiative to hear out and respond to public complaints is launched. Ola Chafik, a school employee, is a happy person. After months of complaining about a restaurant and coffee shop that opened illegally on the side street where she lives in the Zamalek neighbourhood, causing inconvenience to residents, the source of the disturbance was finally dealt with: the place was closed down. After filing several complaints with local authorities, what seems to have finally worked was reverting to the initiative 'Your Voice is Heard'. The initiative was launched by the Ministry of Local Development under the auspices of the prime minister in October 2018 to address citizen complaints and issues across the governorates. It aims to strengthen communication channels with the people and ensure a rapid response to their complaints, according to Khaled Qassem, spokesperson for the Ministry of Local Development. Minister of Local Development Manal Awad noted that 'Your Voice is Heard' has received close to 900,000 messages from its inception in 2018 to April 2025, including 137,000 complaints. Of these, 135,400 were replied to, representing a 98.7 per cent implementation rate. Another 1,812 complaints are currently being addressed in coordination with relevant authorities, according to a monthly report. MP Samira Al-Gazzar said she believes the project is important given the absence of an elected local council whose responsibility is solving complaints lodged by citizens about issues including sewage, electricity, and water. The plan is a form of communication between citizens and the state, Al-Gazzar said. However, she added, while the initiative 'is good', there is a need for locally elected councils. A law regulating municipal elections has been years in the making. According to Awad, the most complaints received in April related to building encroachments, followed by garbage piling up, then infringements on agricultural land and state property, then building violations, steep transportation fares, and price hikes. Complaints concerning corruption were directed to the relevant authorities. Awad said follow-up results showed that the bulk of complaints was received via WhatsApp, followed by Facebook, a hotline, and an email address. The ministry has 98,500 followers on its page. 'Healthy communication between citizens and officials creates a sense of belonging,' Jihan Al-Nomrosy, a psychology professor at Al-Azhar University, told Al-Ahram Weekly. Al-Nomrosy said community development refers to a set of organised efforts aimed at improving the economic, social, and cultural conditions of a community by empowering its members and enabling them to actively participate in identifying their needs and developing appropriate solutions. 'It is based on the principle of partnership between society, the state, or institutions, and seeks to achieve sustainable positive change that enhances people's quality of life and strengthens the spirit of solidarity and belonging among them,' she added. Al-Nomrosy noted that people strive to live in an environment that provides them with comfort and happiness, saying greater awareness enhances community participation. She said that where she lives, residents formed a group to manage the affairs of the district and elected a representative to communicate with the officials concerned. They collect monthly fees to pay for services including a private security company and putting up signs to identify building numbers. As for concerns related to cleanliness or paving roads, the group's representative communicates with officials. To ensure success, school employee Chafik recommends continued follow-up by officials with employees and the communication of citizens with officials through the initiative's platforms. 'Your voice is your weapon, preserve it for truth and justice,' Chafik said enthusiastically. Complaints can be sent via WhatsApp on 01200353111, the initiative's official Facebook page 'Your Voice is Heard'. The email address is [email protected], and the ministry's hotline is 15330. * A version of this article appears in print in the 15 May, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Daily News Egypt
08-05-2025
- Business
- Daily News Egypt
FRA, Local Development Ministry, and SHMFF coordinate to expand non-banking services
In a move to expand access to non-banking financial services nationwide, the Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA) held a high-level coordination meeting with the Ministry of Local Development and the Social Housing and Mortgage Finance Fund (SHMFF). The meeting brought together FRA Chairperson Mohamed Farid, Minister of Local Development Manal Awad, and SHMFF's CEO Mai Abdel Hamid. The discussions focused on establishing collaborative frameworks to deliver FRA-regulated financial and insurance services to broader segments of the population, particularly in underserved governorates. The initiative supports Egypt's national strategy for financial inclusion and sustainable development. Participants reviewed a broad spectrum of non-banking financial tools, including mortgage finance, leasing, factoring, consumer finance, and capital market products, as well as insurance services. The aim is to leverage these tools to enhance economic resilience at the local level and protect vulnerable citizens from financial risks. Farid stressed the FRA's commitment to strengthening partnerships with government institutions to demonstrate how non-banking solutions can support development goals. 'We are working to design innovative financing, investment, and insurance services tailored to the needs of citizens in governorates across Egypt, especially in marginalized and rural communities,' he said. He highlighted the importance of integrating efforts with the Ministry of Local Development to extend financial services to villages and districts targeted by national initiatives, particularly those under the Decent Life program and local development strategies. Minister Manal Awad underscored the value of this partnership, describing it as a pivotal step toward empowering governorates with modern financial tools. 'Our goal is to foster an enabling environment where citizens can access effective financial and insurance services, raise their living standards, and create local job opportunities,' she said. Awad also stressed the need to enhance financial literacy and public awareness of available services to ensure active citizen participation in economic life. To translate the initiative into action, the parties agreed to form joint working groups comprising representatives from the FRA, the Ministry of Local Development, and the SHMFF. These teams will develop an implementation roadmap based on local priorities, aiming to ensure the broadest possible access to non-banking financial services. The collaboration is seen as a model for institutional integration, aligning efforts among key state bodies to accelerate progress toward Egypt's sustainable development goals and improve the quality of life across all governorates.
Zawya
05-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Egypt: Mashrou'ak injects $638mln into local development projects since 2015
Egypt - The Ministry of Local Development announced on Sunday that the 'Mashrou'ak' (Your Project) initiative has financed 213,689 projects across Egypt since its launch in 2015, with total funding exceeding EGP 32.4bn. The programme has helped generate approximately 1.428 million job opportunities nationwide, establishing itself as a cornerstone of local economic support and sustainable development. This announcement comes as part of the government's broader efforts to promote economic empowerment—particularly among youth and women—and to support micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) across all governorates. Mashrou'ak has continued to attract growing interest from young entrepreneurs, thanks to its streamlined procedures, technical support, and strong coordination with partner banks. The initiative has proven especially effective in reducing unemployment rates in underserved areas by turning innovative ideas into viable, income-generating ventures. Minya, Sohag, and Beni Suef have emerged as the top-performing governorates in terms of the number of projects financed. Minya alone has implemented 23,400 projects, with loans exceeding EGP 3.3bn and generating 157,400 jobs. Sohag followed closely with 23,200 projects backed by EGP 4.3bn in funding, creating 153,900 jobs. Beheira ranked third, with 19,200 projects financed through EGP 1.8bn in loans, resulting in 101,800 job opportunities. Minister of Local Development Manal Awad stated that the programme currently operates through 260 offices nationwide. These offices provide a range of services to applicants, including technical and administrative training, feasibility studies, and temporary licenses pending final approvals. Such support ensures that entrepreneurs can make full use of the services and launch sustainable businesses.
