Latest news with #Planning
The South African
2 days ago
- Politics
- The South African
G20 meetings on global development to go ahead in Skukuza
The Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation, Maropene Ramokgopa, will host the fourth Group of 20 (G20) Development Working Group (DWG) meeting and the G20 Ministerial meeting on development from 20 to 25 July at Skukuza Lodge in the Kruger National Park. This event will take place under South Africa's G20 Presidency, focusing on the theme: 'Solidarity, Sustainability, and Equality'. These meetings will bring together G20 Member States, invited countries, and international organisations to advance global development cooperation and the financing of sustainable development. The gathering will focus on high-level principles on global public goods and global public investment; mobilising finance for development and means of implementation; and building resilience through universal social protection floors. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
Chinese experts' report: Minister reviews finalisation of sectoral action plan
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal, chaired a high-level meeting in Islamabad to review the implementation and finalisation of the sectoral action plan based on the Chinese experts' Report. The meeting was attended by Secretary Planning Awais Manzur Sumra, Vice Chancellor PIDE, Chief Economist, Project Director CPEC Secretariat, and senior officials from various ministries and divisions. The report shared by the Chinese Embassy was prepared by Chinese Working Teams following their visit to Pakistan to assess potential areas of enhanced economic cooperation. The report outlined key observations and recommendations in different sectors such as connectivity, the development of a national agricultural plan, Gwadar Port linkages, IT collaboration, and other strategic areas. Ministries were requested to review the report and provide feedback. In line with the directions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, 10 federal focal groups were constituted to develop sector-specific action plans in response to the technical assessments presented by the Chinese expert teams. Since then, the Ministry of Planning under the chairmanship of Minister Ahsan Iqbal has held multiple rounds of meetings to shape the final action plan and has consistently encouraged the ministries to align their inputs with Chinese recommendations and outline a clear path forward. During the meeting, all relevant ministries discussed the sectoral suggestions made by the Chinese teams and presented updates on their respective projects. Minister Ahsan Iqbal directed that each ministry must prepare a comprehensive response based on the Chinese Experts' Report so that the CPEC Secretariat can compile and submit a unified, detailed reply to the Chinese side. He also directed that China should be formally informed about the progress made by Pakistan on the recommendations, and efforts should be made to fully capitalize on the areas and projects for which China has already expressed willingness to cooperate. The meeting marks a significant step towards deepening Pakistan-China economic cooperation and ensuring that both sides move forward with a shared understanding and commitment to mutual development goals. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
Sindh energy minister calls on President
KARACHI: Provincial Minister for Energy, Planning, and Development Nasir Hussain Shah called on President Asif Ali Zardari at Aiwan-e-Sadr, Islamabad. During the meeting, Syed Nasir Hussain Shah briefed the President on Sindh's energy issues, the province's representation in OGDCL, and other matters. He noted that problems are arising due to the lack of provincial representation in power companies. Nasir Shah urged President Zardari to ensure the provincial government's representation in K-Electric (KE). He also briefed on the establishment of the Sindh Electric Power Regulatory Authority (SEPRA), stating that the aim of this institution is 'our own electricity, our own tariff' to provide relief to the people from high electricity costs. President Zardari stated that Sindh is the hub of energy and that the development of Sindh is, in fact, the development of the entire country. He assured that Sindh's energy issues will be addressed promptly and its all concerns will be resolved. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Egypt Independent
3 days ago
- Business
- Egypt Independent
Planning min. lauds significant progress in Egypt-UK development coop.
Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation Rania al-Mashat lauded the significant progress in development cooperation between Egypt and the UK. Al-Mashat made the remarks during her participation in a farewell ceremony for British Ambassador in Cairo Gareth Bayley, whose tenure in Egypt ended. The ceremony was attended by a large number of public figures, as well as representatives of the British Egyptian Business Association (BEBA). The minister highlighted the ambassador's effective role since 2021 in advancing Egyptian-British relations and enhancing partnerships between the two countries' public and private sectors. Regarding the remarkable boom in Egyptian-British development cooperation, Mashat said the UK has backed the launch of the Nexus of Water, Food and Energy (NWFE) Program and the launch of the Hub for Advisory, Finance and Investment for Enterprises (Hafiz) platform, which serves as a new financial and technical support platform for the private sector. The minister added that the UK contributed to diversifying innovative funding sources for the public and private sectors in Egypt, strengthening financing mechanisms for small and medium-sized enterprises, in addition to supporting startups in climate action. On his part, the British diplomat commended the strong and historical ties between Egypt and the UK, both at the governmental level and within the private sectors of both nations. He shed light on the projects supported by the UK in Egypt, including the 'NWFE' program, which acts as a tool for mobilizing climate investment and advancing the country's green transition efforts.
Egypt Independent
4 days ago
- Business
- Egypt Independent
Egypt and China sign 1st phase of debt-for-development swap program
Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, Rania al-Mashat, and the Chairman of the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), Chen Xiaodong on Thursday signed five new cooperation documents aimed at boosting Egyptian-Chinese strategic relations. These include a Memorandum of Understanding for the first development cooperation strategy between the two countries for 2025/2029, and the first phase of the debt-for-development swap program. The documents were signed at the Cabinet headquarters in the New Administrative Capital. The signing was witnessed by Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, and Premier of the State Council of China, Li Qiang. The two sides signed an MoU on the first development cooperation strategy between Egypt and China from 2025-2029. This aims to promote development cooperation between the two countries in line with Egypt's National Development Strategy 2030 and the Global Development Initiative (GDI). The MoU stipulates enhancing cooperation in priority areas for both sides, including healthcare, connectivity, climate change and green development, digital economy, space, education, and industrial localization, which will serve as an opportunity for joint initiatives, as well as any other areas that the two sides may agree upon during this period. The strategy also encourages exploration of additional projects that align with the GDI and Egypt's Vision 2030, including those that promote green transformation and industrial localization. This initiative builds upon the MoU signed by Mashat during her participation in the GDI meetings in July 2023. The two parties also signed the framework agreement for the first phase of a Debt Swap for Development Program, activating an MoU originally signed in October 2023. Egypt is the first country with which CIDCA has entered into this kind of development financing agreement. The Governor of the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) Hassan Abdalla also signed a MoU with Governor of the People's Bank of China (PBOC) Pan Gongsheng, on Friday, to boost joint collaboration across various areas of mutual interest between the two banks. The signing ceremony at the Egyptian Cabinet was witnessed by the Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, and Li Qiang, Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, alongside senior officials from both countries. The MoU aims to promote the use of local currency settlements for cross-border financial and trade transactions, while facilitating direct investments between both sides to foster economic integration. It also includes provisions to strengthen cooperation on Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC). Additionally, it supports financial innovation using modern technology through conducting joint research and studies, as well as exchanging technical information and expertise. Abdalla affirmed that 'This MoU reflects the evolution of the historic ties between Egypt and China. It demonstrates both institutions' commitment to strengthening partnerships between their respective financial institutions in light of global economic developments.' Further agreements Mashat also signed the exchange of letters for a feasibility study grant for the national project to develop the prosthetics system, amounting to 1,520,000 Chinese Yuan. This project aims to make Egypt a regional hub in the Middle East and Africa for providing prosthetic limbs and assistive devices for people with disabilities, as well as possessing the manufacturing capability for them according to internationally approved standard specifications. Mashat, and the Chairman of the CIDCA, also signed an MoU on strengthening cooperation in human resources development, complementing the Ministry's role as a national coordinator for the annual training program provided by the Chinese side to the Egyptian government. Through this, the Chinese side will provide up to 2,000 training opportunities for Egypt in bilateral and multilateral training programs during the period from 2025-2027. The two sides also signed exchange of letters for the grant for the establishment of a Level-III Biosafety Laboratory, which will provide a secure environment for research, diagnosis, and the development of control measures for highly hazardous pathogens that require strict containment procedures, such as highly infectious viruses like COVID-19 and its variants.
