Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El Sisi directed Saturday the government to count the number of unlicensed factories to consider legalized their status.
“We need a construction movement, not registering violations and filing lawsuits,” Sisi told Interior Minister Mahmoud Tawfiq and Trade and Industry Minister Nevine Gamea during the inauguration of several development projects in Upper Egypt governorates.
The government encourages the violators to go back to the right track and legalize their conditions, Sisi said, calling for launching an initiative, aimed at boosting co-operation and coordination to integrate them in the industrial sector, based on the standard measures and requirements.
The government wants to give the investors licensed lots, linked with all the utilities, and a low-cost funding as well as helping them in marketing their production to support them till success.
President said that the Interior Ministry takes legal actions against dozens of unlicensed factories on a daily basis, saying that he directed to legalize the conditions of such factories instead of taking legal measures against them.
After counting down the unlicensed factories, they should be relocated to the nearest industrial zone in Fayyoum or Beni Suef governorates with a full license.
The government should help in construction and development, and all of those wanting to work and manufacture in Egypt, Sisi added.
The government has established 13 industrial zones and taken several measures to ease making businesses for investors, as it developed the infrastructure, and provided them with all the utilities, Sisi said, adding that the government would also help them in marketing their production.
The government has potentials to double that number of industrial zones, but it targets pushing forward these factories to start operations and productions.
The president cited the Robeiki city, which had been planned since 2004, but was established only two years ago.
Commenting on Trade and Industry Minister Nevine Gamea’s remarks about establishing 825 thousand projects at a cost of EGP 16 billion, President Abdel Fattah El Sisi stressed that the government could double the number of these projects, if they could create more new jobs.
Sisi said that the government has spent EGP 3.9 billion to prepare Robeiki area, in addition to the cost of constructing free residential units for the workers of tanneries ahead of relocating the residents of Sour Magra el Eyoun there.
The construction of the Robeiki city has been late around 20 years, which badly affected the country and the environment, Sisi said, stressing that the Robeiki city project wouldn’t have been succeeded, without the intervention of the government.
But determining on having a change and going forward, the country opted to bear the EGP 100 million burden of relocating the residents of old Cairo to Robeiki city for the sake of the country and people.
Sisi said that the government has been seeking to achieve the self-sufficiency in the industrial production and clothes, with the same international quality standards, to create more jobs, foreign currency, and increasing the GDP.
The state doesn’t seek making profits when establishing new industrial zones, Sisi said, citing that the cost of constructing 13 industrial zones hit EGP 10 billion, which could make up to one billion pounds of yields, if they were deposited in banks, hence that the rentals don’t compensate such returns, but the government plans to create jobs for the people rather than making profits.
