The Ministry of Planning and Economic Development reviews the executive position of the Decent Life Initiative at Bibliotheca Alexandrina

Dr. Jamil Helmy, Assistant Minister for Sustainable Development Plan Follow-up Affairs, and General Supervisor of the “Decent Life” project at the Ministry of Planning, presented the features of the national project for developing the Egyptian countryside “Decent Life” and its development goals, in a symposium, which was held at Bibliotheca Alexandrina, under the title “Contemporary Egypt: Challenges and Future Prospects.”

Helmy explained that the first phase of the initiative covers 1,477 villages, benefiting about 18 million Egyptians, half of whom are below the poverty line, for EGP 350 billion, and a total of 23,000 projects, which made it one of the most prominent projects implemented by the Egyptian state in its history.

The initiative is considered one of the most important projects in the world, as certified by the United Nations, which registered it on the “UN Goals Accelerators platform” and “International Best Practices platforms”.

Helmy added that the “Decent Life” project contributes to achieving Egypt’s Vision 2030, all 17 UN SDGs, and all the dimensions of sustainable development whether economic, social, or environmental.

The project also seeks to achieve a balance between rural development and urban development, by making available and improving all services, especially health care, educational, youth, and cultural services.

The project also seeks to provide decent housing that enjoys clean water, safe and sustainable sanitation, clean energy, and high-speed Internet services.

 Similarly, the project provides food security requirements and improves agricultural productivity through the establishment of 330 agricultural service centers and canal lining projects.

Helmy stressed that the “Decent Life” project also has a major role in implementing many national strategies, especially the National Human Rights Strategy and the National Climate Change Strategy 2050, through implementing many environmentally friendly projects.

Given the importance of “sanitation and drinking water” projects, he stressed that they account for about 50% of the first phase’s allocations, especially since they are being implemented using sustainable methods that emphasize quality standards and full coverage.

In the health sector, he emphasized the initiative’s contribution to accelerating efforts to expand the implementation of the comprehensive health insurance system through the establishment of central hospitals and primary care units by the standards of the comprehensive health insurance system.

  As for the education sector, the initiative contributed to reducing class density in 35% of schools, solving the problem of multiple school periods in 33% of the total schools that operate in shifts, and increasing the enrollment rate in kindergarten.

He added that there had been efforts over the past two years in coordination with the Central Bank to expand the implementation of the financial inclusion strategy within the “Decent Life” initiative.

These efforts resulted in covering all local units with ATMs, establishing and developing 127 bank branches, opening more than 265,000 bank accounts, and paying attention to spreading the culture of savings.

The state is also interested in building people intellectually and spreading an integrated system of values, especially the values of “work,” by spreading the idea of entrepreneurship, and making theaters, mobile libraries, and “Kiosk of Your Book” outlets available for the first time in the Egyptian countryside