Sisi follows up efforts to manage Awqaf assets

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El Sisi followed up the ongoing efforts to manage and develop the Awqaf (Endowments funds) assets.

This came during the President’s meeting with Awqaf Minister Mohamed Mokhtar Gomaa, President’s Advisor on Financial Affairs Mohamed Amin, and Minister’s Assistant for the General Authority for Awqaf Affairs Mohamed Abdel Nabi, Presidency Spokesman Bassam Radi said.

President Sisi underlined the importance of endowments and funds, and the deep special character they represent, which requires not only preservation, but also sound management and development, as well as tireless work for the accurate collection of endowments’ dues with fair market value, Radi added.

The president also gave directives for concerted efforts by the concerned state agencies to expedite the implementation of all rulings in favuor of the Awqaf Authority, in addition to the rapid settlement of endowment-related cases.

For his part, Minister Gomaa reviewed the Awqaf Authority revenues for the Fiscal Year 2021-2022, which hit LE2.035 billion, posting an increase of LE216 million compared to the previous year.

Meanwhile the authority’s revenues hiked by 22 per cent during the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2022-2023, compared to the corresponding period a year earlier.

Authority chairman, Mohamed Abdel Nabi reviewed their investment plan, which aims to achieve the highest benefit of the Awqaf assets and funds.

President Sisi also held a meeting on Wednesday with minister Gomaa to follow up the ministry’s efforts to boost preaching and social work, as well as training imams and preachers.

Sisi gave orders for developing the training programmes for imams, in light of their key role in disseminating enlightened religious discourse, the Presidency Spokesman said.

Gomaa reviewed the minister’s plan for the present and the future qualification courses for imams, besides the advanced, high-level ones for most distinguished among them.

He also pointed to the development of the International Endowment Academy that offers training for imams and female preachers, from Egypt and many other world countries, Radi noted.

In addition, he briefed President Sisi on the ministry’s efforts on authorship, translation and facilitation of sciences.