CAIRO – Egyptian Minister of Local Development Mahmoud Shaarawi has discussed with Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Egypt Alessandro Fracassetti areas of bilateral cooperation to implement joint projects and programmes, especially the “Decent Life” Initiative, in addition to the project to support the Ministry of Local Development’s efforts to promote decentralization and integrated local economic development in four Upper Egyptian governorates: Fayoum, Beni Suef, Luxor, and Aswan.
During their meeting, Shaarawi briefed the UNDP official on the role played by the local development ministry to coordinate between governorates and ministries with a view to implementing several national programmes and projects.
He added that his ministry is following up work progress in accordance with relevant presidential directives and follow-up from the prime minister.
The minister also reviewed phases of the Decent Life Presidential Initiative in governorates from 2017 to 2019, which started with a program to develop 208 villages and 375 rural communities.
The program to develop the Egyptian countryside is a national project that is set to be implemented on an unprecedented geographical scale of about 4,600 villages in 20 governorates, followed by some 30,000 rural communities in around 175 administrative departments in governorates, he said.
He noted that investments of the project will top EGP 700 billion in three years with the aim of raising the standard of living and improving the quality of life for nearly 60 million village residents.
Meanwhile, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Egypt Alessandro Fracassetti lauded the pivotal role played by the Ministry of Local Development in governorates.
UNDP attaches importance to providing all means of support for everything related to the program to develop the Egyptian countryside in order to achieve the objectives set by the political leadership, Fracassetti added.
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