Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Swailem and North Sinai Governor Khaled Megawer discussed on Sunday ongoing water projects in the governorate and measures to simplify the licensing of existing groundwater wells.
Under the agreement, the governorate, in co-ordination with the relevant authorities, will submit an officially approved list of citizens using the land on which the wells are located, along with its approval for licensing. The Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation will then issue temporary licences valid for one year and renewable annually.
Licensing fees will range from LE 200 to LE 1,000 per well, payable once a year.
Once the ministry receives the approved list, citizens will be given one month to submit applications to license the wells they use, along with the legally required documents. The governorate will encourage residents to apply within the specified period.
The agreement also provides for collecting outstanding fees and charges required to regularise the wells’ status from those who have not previously paid. Amicable settlements will be concluded once the regularisation process is completed. Failure to comply will result in the legal measures stipulated by law.
The ministry previously exempted North Sinai residents from groundwater well licence renewal fees between 2013 and 2022, in view of the exceptional circumstances experienced by the governorate during that period.
