Planning Ministry Delegation tours Sohag Governorate to inspect the rehabilitation process of the “Decent Life” villages

A delegation from the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development visited the governorate of Sohag to follow up on the availability of the standards of the "Green Village" initiative, within the national project for the development of the Egyptian countryside "A Decent Life", in cooperation with ''E-Consult'' Engineering and Environmental Consultancy.

The "Green Village" initiative aims to rehabilitate the villages of the "Decent Life" initiative to comply with international environmental standards.

Dr. Jamil Helmy, Assistant Minister of Planning for the Follow-up of the Sustainable Development Plan, stated that the field visits come within the framework of keenness to follow up on meeting the standards of the "Green Village" initiative, defined by the World Green Building Council, which includes three main pillars: energy, water and resources, and the availability of these standards. Consequently, the village qualifies for a "rationalization" certificate.

He pointed out that the recent period has witnessed intense cooperation with the "E-consult" company, the Egyptian Association for Green Buildings, and several governorates in this regard.

Major General Tarek El-Feki, Governor of Sohag, received the ministry’s delegation. As a result of the "Decent Life" initiative, the governorate is experiencing dramatic growth in its development. It also deals with its role in raising citizens' service levels.

The meeting touched on the importance of integrating environmental sustainability into presidential initiative projects, in the presence of Ahmed Sami Al-Qadi, Deputy Governor.

The governor of Sohag indicated that obtaining the "Tarsheed" certificate for the village of Um Dumah, which is affiliated with the Tama Center, will make it a model that will be circulated to the rest of the governorate's villages, stressing full cooperation with the Ministry of Planning to transform rural villages into sustainable rural communities

Moreover, the ministry's delegation went to the village of "Umm Dumah", which is nominated for a "Tarsheed certificate", and was keen to visit the completed projects to ensure that they entered the service and that citizens benefited from them directly ( local unit, a real estate registry, a civil registry, a post office, a supply office, a social solidarity unit), with a completion rate of 100%, as the center began to provide its services to citizens, in addition to the car of the mobile technology center, the “Your Book” kiosk, and the village youth center with a completion rate of 100%, where the Ministry’s delegation participated in the children and young people at the center celebrate World Environment Day 2023.

Moreover, the MPED’s delegation visited the family medical unit that was developed following the integrated healthcare insurance system, along with a police station, a fire station, an ambulance station, a school complex (kindergarten, primary, preparatory, and high school) which incorporates 62 classrooms accommodating 2500 students, an agricultural services center which includes a veterinary unit, an agricultural guidance center and an agricultural association that provides services to more than 1,200 farmers (with an area of 1,850 acres), a family development center, electricity distribution board, a post office, the main lifting station servicing Om Doma, El-Halaki, Tal El-Zouki, and Kom Gharib, the lining of 1.4 Km of the Qandil canal, the modern market which includes 22 commercial stores, a public transportation hub, and the completed work of connecting natural gas services, fiber optic network, mobile network tower and automated teller machines (ATM).

The delegation also visited several projects that are being executed in the village, including the expansion of the sewage station over 36 acres, to increase the capacity of the current treatment station from 35,000 square meters per day to 70,000 square meters per day to service the village of Om Doma and other services in Tama center with an 80% execution rate.

Additionally, the delegation held a discussion session with the village people. Based on the completion of most of the "Decent Life" projects, an overview of the village's development was drawn.

On the other hand, Om Doma village citizens expressed their delight at the "Decent Life" initiative projects in their village. Several of these projects are currently operating, hoping to receive the "Rationalization" certificate in Sohag soon.

In the same context, Dr. Jamil Hemly pointed out the importance of the economic component within the developmental interventions of the "Decent Life" initiative. He stressed the eagerness to provide various financing programs to the village people. Then, he pointed out the provision of loans worth EGP 1.2 billion in Sohag Governorate, provided by the Enterprise Development Agency and various financing associations. This resulted in 81,000 job opportunities.

The Ministry of Planning and Economic Development’s delegation includes the Coordinators of the Decent Life Initiative at the Ministry, Ahmed El-Shimy, and Mohamed El-Helly, and E-consult Engineer Ahmed El-Sherif.