Planning Ministry Allocates EGP 31 Billion for Port Said Development in 2023/2024

The Ministry of Planning and Economic Development has announced the Citizen Investment Plan for Port Said for the current fiscal year 2023/2024. This announcement is part of the ongoing effort to present the Citizen Plan in all governorates of the Republic for the fifth consecutive year. The aim is to inform citizens about the directions and priorities of the Sustainable Development Plan for the fiscal year 2023/2024 and its role in achieving "Egypt Vision 2030."

Dr. Hala El-Said, Minister of Planning and Economic Development, emphasized that the updated version of Egypt Vision 2030 places great importance on ensuring citizen participation in development-related decision-making. This participation benefits the individual, who is the cornerstone of development, and aims to achieve spatial justice, reduce geographical disparities, empower local communities economically and socially, and provide essential services in all geographic areas to foster real societal development. She clarified that these principles align with the State’s General Planning Law No. 18 of 2022, which emphasizes the importance of enhancing the participation of active stakeholders in the development process and encouraging scientific research and innovation to achieve sustainable development that is geographically, sectorally, and environmentally balanced. She added that citizen participation in the development process is contingent on providing detailed data on the state’s development plans, allowing citizens to monitor their implementation regularly within a comprehensive and integrated framework to promote participatory planning.

Regarding the Citizen Investment Plan for Port Said, Dr. El-Said highlighted that the number of development projects in the governorate amounts to 192. The value of public investments directed to Port Said in the 2023/2024 plan is EGP 31.2 billion, marking a 6% increase from the 2022/2023 plan.

As for the sectoral distribution of public investments in Port Said for the 2023/2024 plan, the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development’s report indicated that EGP 20.7 billion is allocated to the Suez Canal sector, followed by EGP 5.8 billion to the water resources and irrigation sector. The housing sector receives EGP 2 billion, higher education is allocated EGP 934 million, and the health sector gets EGP 493 million. Other sectors receive investments totaling EGP 1 billion.

The report outlined that the plan aims to implement 46 development projects in the housing sector in Port Said. The key developmental targets in this sector include directing approximately EGP 587.6 million to drinking water and sanitation services. Additionally, 20 projects are planned in the higher education sector, including the continuation of the construction of Port Said National University and the completion of the Technological University.