Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli Thursday said the Institute of National Planning (INP) is the first institute established in the Arab region and the Middle East in 1960, coinciding with Egypt’s adoption of comprehensive national planning and the initiation of the country’s first five-year plan (60/1961 – 64/1965).
He added that the institute was established in light of the urgent need for scientific foundations in planning activities and development issues through rigorous scientific research, as well as the pressing requirement to train human resources for planning and development work.
This came in a recorded speech delivered by the premier during a celebration marking the 65th anniversary of the establishment of the INP.
In his speech, Madbouli expressed gratitude at participating in the celebration and congratulated Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation and Chairwoman of INP board Rania el Mashat and Ashraf el Arabi, INP director and former minister of planning on the anniversary of the institute.
Madbouli said that the institute was established on a solid foundation, thanks to the strategic planning of its founder Ibrahim Helmi Abdul Rahman.
The institute’s strong inception was based on the roles assigned to it in its founding law no. 231 of 1960, which included conducting research and studies in the fields of development and planning, publishing these findings, organizing training and educational programs to prepare human resources for plan development and implementation, hosting conferences and scientific meetings to encourage scholarly dialogue on planning and development issues, and contributing to raising awareness of the importance of planning for achieving desired development, the premier said.
He said that the institute quickly became a leading model, establishing national planning institutes in several Arab and African countries with the assistance of its experts.
Since its inception in the early 1960s, the institute has been a primary source of qualified personnel for state institutions and the government, particularly in leadership roles related to the Ministry of Planning, Madbouli said.
He voiced hope that the institute will actively support the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development in crafting a realistic vision for Egypt’s future development, especially as the country approaches 2030 and aims to enhance developmental performance in the years leading up to and following this milestone.
He also emphasized the importance of addressing urban development, population issues, social justice, local governance improvements, value transformations in society, and the impact of modern technologies on social values, along with climate change challenges and localizing sustainable development initiatives nationwide.
