Sisi directs gov’t to increase dependence on local products

President calls national industries ‘driver’ of economic development, mandates government to reduce production requirement imports.

  President Abdel Fattah El Sisi discussed Saturday means of increasing dependence on locally-manufactured goods as alternatives to imported ones, during a meeting with Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouli and Minister of Trade and Industry Neveen Gamie.

The meeting also reviewed progress in the implementation of the national plan for the construction of industrial parks around the nation.

President Sisi directed the prime minister and the minister of trade and industry to boost local manufacturing in ways that cope up with demand in the local market, Presidential Spokesman Ambassador Bassam Radi said, adding that the president referred to growing needs for production from national projects in all fields.

This production is needed, Ambassador Radi quoted the president as saying, to bridge the gap between national imports and exports.

The president noted also that production is important for achieving self-sufficiency, Ambassador Radi said.

President Sisi underscored the importance of increasing local production with a view to reducing imports in general and production requirements in particular.

President Sisi instruction the government, meanwhile, to make a revision of the plots of land allocated for industrial projects in the past period to ensure that they had been used for this purpose.

The president called for conducting studies about the best ways to exploit plots of land that had not been used for the same purpose in the light of national investment and development needs in each governorate, Ambassador Radi said.

There is also a need for maintaining construction of industrial parks nationwide, Ambassador Radi quoted President Sisi as saying.

He added that president Sisi described national industry as a “driver” of economic development.

Minister Gamie, for her part, briefed the president about progress on the industrial parks now being constructed in different areas around Egypt.

The minister also informed the president about the efforts exerted by her ministry in following up on the work of the industrial parks.

Minister Gamie also detailed the efforts her ministry makes to increase dependence on national industries in cooperation with other state agencies, Ambassador Radi said.