Minister of Local Development and Environment Manal Awad reviewed on Monday the progress of a technical support project implemented in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and funded by the European Union.
The project covers four governorates: Fayoum, Beni Suef, Luxor and Aswan.
The meeting was held at the ministry’s headquarters in the New Administrative Capital and was attended by officials from the ministry and UNDP, including Heba Wafa, Director of Local Development, Inclusion and Empowerment Programmes at UNDP, and project managers.
The minister reviewed implementation rates of local economic development projects financed by the ministry and UNDP.
These include the Habil Urban Market in Bayadiya, Luxor; the Integrated Services Centre and Olive Industries Complex in Youssef El-Seddik, Fayoum; the Integrated Centre for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in Somosta, Beni Suef; and the Model Centre for Processing, Packaging and Trading Dates and Palm Products, along with a logistics zone for agricultural crops in Aswan.
Minister Awad also followed up on the preparation of several strategies under the project.
These include updating the ministry’s overall strategy, a climate change strategy, and a monitoring and evaluation framework to improve work systems.
Institutional development was also discussed, including new organisational structures for the ministry, governorates and local centres.
The meeting reviewed leadership training programmes and workshops for local administration officials, to be implemented in coordination with the Saqqara Local Development Training Centre.
Awad praised progress achieved on the ground and called for close monitoring to ensure projects become operational on schedule. She stressed the importance of maximising governorates’ own resources, promoting investment and expanding partnerships with the private sector to improve service efficiency and quality of life.
