Planning Minister participates in “Agri Misr” launching ceremony
13 July 2021
Dr. Hala El-Said, Minister of Planning and Economic Development, participated today in the celebration of the launch of the electronic agricultural platform within the Egyptian digital agricultural network " Agri Misr ", which was organized by "E-Aswaaq Misr", a subsidiary of the "E-Finance" group of companies for financial and digital investment.
During her speech, Dr. Hala El-Said explained that digital transformation is of paramount importance to the Egyptian state and all countries of the world.
She added that the digital transformation and expansion of electronic financial services has become a global trend and approach adopted by various countries of the world, in addition to the fact that attention to issues of knowledge and investment in technology has become a necessity imposed by the economic and social development challenges.
El-Said explained that the importance of digital transformation is increasing in light of the repercussions resulting from the Corona pandemic crisis, which revealed the growing digital divide within and between developed and developing countries.
El-Said talked about the launch of the “e-agricultural platform”, explaining that it is the first integrated commercial financing system for the agricultural sector to be launched within the Egyptian digital agricultural network “Agri Misr”.
El-Said explained that the platform provides opportunities for entrepreneurship initiatives, the development of the small, medium, and micro enterprises, job creation, and stimulating the integration of the formal sector into the formal work system.
El-Said stressed that all these initiatives and efforts come within the framework of a comprehensive vision of the Egyptian state for the continuation of the reform process.
She noted the importance of the agricultural sector as one of the important productive sectors that the state focuses on to achieve its food security and increase its productivity.
El-Said referred to the strategic objectives of the agricultural sector within the framework of the structural reforms program, the most prominent of which is achieving and sustaining food and water security, increasing the sector’s productivity and its contribution to the domestic product, creating new job opportunities and increasing the incomes of small farmers.
El-Said added that within the framework of the state's efforts to support and develop the agricultural sector, and in recognition of the importance of maximizing the benefit from the rapid growth in the field of financial technology services, the government is adopting a serious approach to the transformation into a digital society.
Moreover, the government is working to encourage the use of electronic payment methods and to achieve financial inclusion as one of the pillars for achieving inclusive and sustainable economic and social development.
She added that the digital agricultural network is a key part of the digital transformation plan in Egypt and Egypt’s 2030 vision that aims to integrate advanced technologies and their applications to digitize government services and adapt technology to facilitate various services and achieve financial inclusion.
El-Said explained that the state has taken many serious steps and implemented a wide range of projects, most notably the implementation of the "Information Infrastructure Integration for the Egyptian Planning System" project and the establishment of the main spatial changes center at the Military Survey Department and an exchange center at the Ministry of Planning.
El-Said stressed the importance of strengthening and building the capabilities of human cadres as an essential component of the digital transformation process, as it is no less important than developing the infrastructure and technology necessary for digital transformation.