Egypt’s Planning Minister Discusses Cooperation with High-Level Indian Delegation

H.E. Dr. Hala El Said, Minister of Planning and Economic Development, received a high-level Indian delegation from the National Institution for India's Transformation, headed by the Indian Ambassador to Cairo, Ajit Gupte, Sanjit Singh, Advisor for Trade, Economy, Finance, and International Cooperation. They met to discuss avenues of mutual cooperation during the delegation's visit to Cairo, organized by the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development.

During the meeting, Dr. Hala El Said emphasized the strength of the strategic and commercial relations between Egypt and India, noting President's visit to India in early 2023, during which the elevation of bilateral relations to the level of strategic partnership was announced.

El Said reviewed the work files of the Ministry of Planning, highlighting the ministry's responsibility for Egypt Vision 2030, which is the national version of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Africa Agenda 2063. She pointed out that the ministry is responsible for formulating long, medium, and short-term investment plans.

El Said also mentioned the ministry's affiliated entities, including the National Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development, and its specialized training programs in governance and sustainable development, in collaboration with leading local and international universities and institutes.

The minister emphasized the importance of partnership with the private sector, referring to Egypt's Sovereign Fund as the optimal partner for the private sector, which includes a group of specialized subsidiary funds in various fields.

Dr. Sharifa Sharif presented the training programs offered by the institute in governance and sustainable development for administrative staff, youth, and women, mentioning initiatives such as "Be an Ambassador for Sustainable Development" and initiatives for governance ambassadors and female leaders at the provincial and African levels. She highlighted partnerships with major centers and universities at the local and international levels to provide high-level training programs, consultancy services, and research aimed at promoting sustainability culture, values, and practices and activating governance mechanisms in all state sectors within the framework of achieving Egypt Vision 2030 goals.

Ambassador Hisham Badr reviewed the achievements of the initiative over the past two years, emphasizing its global unprecedented model status, providing real-world environmental solutions from Egyptian provinces and villages participating in climate conferences. He highlighted the initiative's ability to foster competition and innovation, noting a significant improvement in project quality during the second phase, reflecting its impact on changing the Egyptian citizen's mindset by opening participation to all citizens and creating a database facilitating access to investors and funders.

Dr. Jameel Helmi discussed the Egyptian experience in achieving rural development through the national project for the development of the Egyptian countryside "Decent Life," targeting improving the quality of life for about 58% of the population. He pointed out that the first phase targets 1,477 villages in 52 centers in 20 rural provinces, with a total cost of 350 billion pounds, to implement 23,000 developmental projects.

Helmi touched upon the strategic objectives of the "Decent Life" project, including improving the quality of life in rural areas, enhancing infrastructure services, and promoting human development services, economic development, and creating decent job opportunities. He emphasized the state's interest in integrating environmental sustainability standards into "Decent Life" by increasing the percentage of green investments to 30% of total investments and qualifying villages for "Rationalization" (Tarsheed) certification for green rural communities through the "Green Village" initiative, noting the certification received by Fares village in Aswan and Nahtai in Gharbia. Helmi also highlighted efforts to implement the financial inclusion strategy in "Decent Life" villages, in collaboration with the Central Bank of Egypt, improving financial and banking services in rural Egypt, promoting work culture, entrepreneurship, and providing necessary funding for small and micro-projects.

The meeting was attended by Ambassador Hazem Khairat, Advisor to the Minister of Planning for International Cooperation, Dr. Sharifa Sharif, Executive Director of the National Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development, Ambassador Hisham Badr, Assistant Minister for Strategic Partnerships, Excellence, and Initiatives, Dr. Jameel Helmi, Assistant Minister for Sustainable Development Plan Monitoring, Wael Ziyada, Assistant Minister for Economic Affairs and Investment, Eng. Nahed Morsi, Assistant Minister for Infrastructure, Dr. Heba Mughieb, Head of the Regional Planning Sector, and Ehab Rizk, Executive Director of the Subsidiary Fund for Education, Nutrition, and Agriculture in Egypt.