Dr. Manal Awad, Minister of Local Development, participated in the Egyptian government’s special session entitled “Financing a Sustainable Urban Future for All,” which was held within the activities of the third day of the work of the twelfth session of the World Urban Forum, which is hosted by the city of Cairo during the period from 4 to 8 November. Taking place at Al-Manara International Conference Center. For human settlements, Ahmed Kojak, Minister of Finance, Stephane Gimbert, Regional Director for Egypt, Yemen and Djibouti at the World Bank Group, and moderated by Dr. Rania Hedaya, United Nations Regional Director for Human Settlements, and the session was attended by Eng. Sherif El-Sherbiny, Minister of Housing and Head of the Engineering Authority of the Armed Forces, and a number of businessmen and representatives. On behalf of the international financial institutions, the World Bank, and the United Nations.
Dr. Manal Awad stressed at the beginning of her speech during the opening of the session that strengthening local economies and providing job opportunities will fundamentally contribute to advancing Local economic development and creating more balanced and sustainable urban environments and rural communities, and that financing sustainable urban development is an investment in our present and future.
Dr. Manal Awad shed light on an important message during her speech. “Local economic development is the primary driver for promoting sustainable urban development, as it places people at the heart of the development process, ensures that their needs are met, improves their quality of life, and ensures justice and balance in development.”
The Minister of Local Development answered a question in the session about the policies and plans adopted by the Egyptian government to promote economic development at the local level, and how these efforts integrate with achieving sustainable urban development in cities and rural areas, and how these policies can contribute to attracting investments and creating… Sustainable job opportunities for youth in various governorates, stressing that the Ministry of Local Development is working on a number of policies and plans aimed at enhancing local economic development. And then creating a supportive environment for investment and thus promoting sustainable urban development.
Dr. Manal Awad explained that the policies and plans that the Ministry is working on are based on policies targeting balanced development between cities and rural areas. , which reduces migration from the countryside to cities, which contributes to alleviating pressure on urban centers and enhances the stability and growth of rural areas, and from here to achieve comprehensive development, the needs of rural areas had to be met on an equal basis with urban areas, so we worked through the Presidential Initiative Hayat Karima and other projects support promising economic activities such as sustainable agricultural manufacturing, small industries, and providing good educational and health opportunities in the villages of the Egyptian countryside.
The Minister of Local Development indicated that the Ministry It has also strengthened partnerships between the public and private sectors by providing effective financing mechanisms, and contributing to attracting investments from the private sector to provide innovative solutions to economic and social challenges. The best example of this is annexing industrial zones in Upper Egypt and involving the private sector in their management, which enhances their attractiveness for investments and works to Stimulating economic growth regionally.
Dr. Manal Awad stressed the ministry’s keenness to encourage small and medium enterprises, as small and medium enterprises are a locomotive for local development, and provide many job opportunities, especially for young people. Therefore, through the National Project for Community, Human and Local Development “Mashrou3ak”, the Local Development Fund and the Economic Clusters Initiative, access to financing is facilitated, and training and development programs are provided that focus on entrepreneurship and innovation. By empowering youth and small businesses, a flexible local economy can be built that provides opportunities. Diverse work.
The Minister of Local Development added to the interest in supporting infrastructure, as investment in local infrastructure is considered one of the most prominent elements of supporting economic development. As improving infrastructure contributes to improving the quality of life for citizens and enhances the competitiveness of cities and villages, we have worked, through government investments or partnerships with international development partners, to implement projects that prepare the local environment for investment by improving roads, providing water and electricity networks, and developing public transportation. This ensures enhanced market access efficiency, supports local production, and makes geographical areas more attractive for investment.
Dr. Manal Awad Ali also answered one of the questions posed by the session director. Dr. Rania Hedaya on the Ministry of Local Development’s vision of the role of the private sector in promoting local investments and diversifying funding sources to support urban development projects, and what mechanisms the Ministry adopts to create an attractive investment environment at the local level, as the Minister of Local Development confirmed that partnerships between the public and private sectors are considered… One of the basic tools for diversifying funding sources and supporting development projects, as the Ministry works to encourage the private sector to invest in strategic sectors, such as infrastructure, housing, renewable energy, and information technology. So that the financial burdens are distributed, the burden on the state budget is reduced, and new job opportunities are created by involving the private sector in these areas.
Dr. Manal Awad stressed the necessity of involving the private sector. Through social economic partnership councils at the local level, which allows effective contribution to decision-making, directing investments towards service projects, and involving the private sector in the management of economic facilities, noting that several governorates have involved the private sector in the management of economic facilities, where successful partnership models have been implemented. Helped improve services and increase efficiency; These include partnerships in the transportation sector through agreements with the private sector to improve public transportation services, such as contracting with companies to develop and operate mass transit lines. As well as developing the port of Alexandria through private companies responsible for improving logistics services and increasing the efficiency of loading and unloading operations. In addition to industrial zone projects in Beni Suef Governorate; Fayoum solid waste management project; In cooperation with the private sector; And sanitation projects in Sohag Governorate, and tourism and infrastructure projects in Luxor Governorate.
The Minister of Local Development continued: The private sector has also been involved in managing productive projects in the governorates, such as the Issawiya project in Sohag Governorate and slaughterhouse management, which represents an important step to enhance productivity and benefit from the technical and administrative expertise possessed by the private sector, in addition to providing job opportunities and generating additional revenues for the governorates.
The Minister of Development concluded The local council stressed the need to improve the provision of services provided to the private sector, as a number of reforms have been implemented in the service provision system in the governorate, especially technological centers to serve citizens, to improve the business and investment environment based on digital transformation systems and the use of smart systems, and the preparation of a number of guidelines and procedural guides to support leaders and officials. In the local units and raising their efficiency in dealing with the system of improving services and managing the technological centers that work on the unified local application, government services complexes were also developed within the first phase of the presidential initiative A Decent Life (332 complexes).
