Planning Minister, OECD Secretary-General meet in Paris to discuss co-operation

H.E. Dr. Hala El-Said, Minister of Planning and Economic Development, met with Mathias Cormann, Secretary General of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

The meeting, held at the organization's headquarters in Paris, was attended by Ambassador Alaa Youssef, Egypt's ambassador to France. In addition, there were several senior officials of the organization concerned about Egypt's cooperation.

The meeting discussed cooperation between parties.

During the meeting, Dr. Hala El-Said reviewed the country program’s five pillars: inclusive and sustainable economic growth, innovation and digital transformation, governance and anti-corruption, statistics, and sustainable development.

El-Said explained that there are about 35 projects emanating from these pillars, noting that work has already begun to implement 22 of them through the Ministries of Planning and Economic Development, Trade and Industry, Environment, Communications and Information Technology, Electricity, and Renewable Energy, the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE), the General Investment Authority, Egyptian Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (MSMEDA), SCZONE – General Authority for Suez Canal Economic Zone and the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMS).

El-Said pointed out that the Ministry of Planning has created a matrix that has been circulated to all ministries and beneficiary agencies to follow up on what has been accomplished in each project.

She stressed that cooperation with the organization comes in line with Egypt's economic reform efforts and within the framework of the national program for structural reforms. She pointed to the state ownership policy document, which aims to better manage state-owned assets, attract investments and strengthen cooperation with the private sector.

Egypt’s Minister of Planning indicated that the state is focusing on supporting the efficiency of the labor market through capacity-building and promoting vocational education, in addition to social protection programs, including the "Decent Life" program, which aims to improve the quality of life for about half of Egypt's population in rural areas by providing water, electricity, sanitation, education, and other services. 

For his part, OECD Secretary-General, Mathias Cormann expressed his appreciation for relations with Egypt, noting the progress made in implementing the country’s program projects.

 He stressed his commitment to working with Egypt to make this program a success. He also praised Egypt's economic reforms.

Cormann added that these positive developments on the economic front will be included in the organization's reports. These reports will address aspects related to the labor market, providing jobs and required skills, as well as gender equality in jobs.

Cormann also expressed his appreciation for the Minister of Planning and Economic Development's role as co-chair of the organization's Women's Economic Empowerment Forum in the MENA region.

The meeting discussed the proposal to hold the next meeting of the Middle East gender equality platform in Egypt.