Egyptian Minister of Planning, Director of EBRD meet to discuss ways of cooperation

H.E. Dr. Hala El-Said, Minister of Planning and Economic Development, met with Sue Barrett. Director, Sustainable Infrastructure, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), to discuss the progress made in the bank’s sovereign portfolio and discuss several topics of cooperation between the two parties.

  The meeting witnessed the presence of Dr. Ahmed Kamali, Deputy Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Khaled Hamza, Director of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development office in Egypt, and many representatives of both parties.

 El-Said emphasized in the meeting that she wants to support and strengthen cooperation with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, referring to the projects in which the bank participates in Egypt.  

El-Said discussed the unity of labor market policies, explaining that she looks at the supply and demand sides of the labor market, and the specializations that this market needs, whether at present or in the future, which will be reflected in the pre-university and university education system, the skills required in the various sectors, and improving the quality of labor whether Inside Egypt or exported abroad to be more competitive, especially since remittances from workers abroad are considered one of the largest sources of foreign exchange for the Egyptian economy.

El-Said also pointed out the importance of the modeling unit as well which aims to provide technical support through studies, research, and standard models that support decision-making and adopting sound policies, as well as its role in providing consultations in the areas of evaluation and forecasting.

 El-Said emphasized that the National Institute of Governance and Sustainable Development (NIGSD). 

 She further explained that the vision of NIGSD is to support, improve, and develop good management systems to achieve competitiveness and sustainability. 

 El-Said noted that the mission of NIGSD is also to strengthen and develop Egypt's position in the field of governance and sustainable development through consulting, research, and training programs that seek and emphasize the dissemination of the culture, values ​​, and practices of sustainable development. 

 El-Said explained that NIGSD reviews, evaluates, monitors, and reports on Egypt's ranking in global indicators and promotes good governance and partnerships with research centers, think tanks, and national, regional, and international education and training. 

For his part, Dr. Ahmed Kamali, Deputy Minister of Planning emphasized the efforts made in the localization of sustainability goals, which Egypt considers very important in the process of localization at the county level. 

  Kamali cited the most visible of these efforts, which include a financial equation designed by the Ministry of Planning that adheres to standards to allocate resources to different municipalities fairly and objectively. 

  Kamali also addressed the localization reports of the 27 governorate-level sustainable development goals initiated by the Ministry of Planning in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund,  the first of its kind in Egypt. 

  He added that work will currently be done to increase the number of SDG indicators covered in these reports.  

 Kamali referred to local voluntary reports, explaining Egypt's success in publishing three voluntary local assessments for the governorates of Beheira, Fayoum, and Port Said for the first time, as well as the support provided by the Ministry of Planning in collaboration with the  Development Program of the United Nations. 

 Kamali added that the Ministry of Planning considered the document on ownership of the state during the preparation of the plan, in addition to the fact that the Ministry relies on the integrated electronic system in the preparation and monitoring of the investment plan as an important support in the allocation of investments. 

In the meeting, it was confirmed that among the national strategic priorities of the Bank in Egypt for 2022-2027 is the principle of promoting a more inclusive economy for Egyptian businesses, women, and youth, as well as accelerating the transition to a green economy. In addition to improving Egypt's competitiveness by supporting the growth of the private sector and improving governance. 

  It also noted that the EBRD's portfolio of sovereign funds in Egypt focuses on three key areas, including sustainable infrastructure, and noted the bank's support for projects aimed at improving the efficiency and sustainability of infrastructure such as water and sanitation.