The Egyptian government is urged to work on an initiative to upgrade industry and improve its rating on international indicators, a senior official has advised.
Speaking to MENA on the sidelines of a conference on the future of Egyptian industry Sunday, General Manager of the Egyptian Center for Strategic Studies (ECSS) Dr Khaled Okasha said that, coming out of the Covid-19 crisis, the world has reached a conclusion that centralized manufacturing poses a big threat.
The world is now seeking parts of the globe, other than East Asia, with competitive advantages that could very well make up for any potential absence, Okasha said.
Given that – plus of course the Russian-Ukrainian war – Egypt has a good chance to become a regional manufacturer in the Middle East and North Africa, he noted.
Okasha touched upon Egypt’s geographical location and demographic characteristics, as well as its infrastructure and trade agreements it is party to, believing the Arab country is now qualified to expand at the industrial level.
Some measures recommended by the conference should, however, be taken in order to further settle and integrate the industry, he said nonetheless.
One such measure is to promote industrial awareness among workers, Okasha told MENA. He also cited the need to establish a database to help the government make right decisions, and the need to negotiate with international companies to move their research and technology centers to Egypt.
Organized by the ECSS, the conference on the future of Egyptian industry, serves as a platform for dialogue among all parties concerned (the government, the private sector, legislators and NGOs), Okasha noted.
The conference, he added, is meant to tackle all important aspects meant to enhance the industrial sector and address its challenges.
It probed a roadmap to settle and upgrade the industrial sector, while taking into consideration proposals and recommendations by participants to help achieve that, the ECSS general manager said. (MENA)
