CAIRO – Upper Egypt’s residents are awaiting the fruit of seven years of strenuous efforts to achieve development in the southern governorates under the leadership of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi as such projects will soon be crystallised on the ground.
Over the past few years, 14 axes have been established to facilitate the movement of residents over the two banks of the River Nile, and Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouli has been following up the implementation plans in Upper Egypt upon the directives of President Sisi in order to accomplish a set of projects in the various fields, i.e. transport, electricity, transport, health, housing and industry, before the end of the current year, MENA reported.
According to statistics of the Planning Ministry, government investments allocated for Upper Egypt in the fiscal year 2021-2022 reached LE92.4 billion with the aim of improving quality of life and providing honourable living chances to residents.
President Sisi’s plan to develop and upgrade Upper Egypt governorates has been launched in 2014 as part of a national project to develop Upper Egypt along four axes; the establishment of the General Authority for Development of Upper Egypt, the national project of launching integrated industrial zones in South Egypt as well as other programs for pumping investments to such governorates in the industrial, livestock, tourism and agriculture.
According to such plans, the southern region of Upper Egypt is to receive 55.2 per cent of allocated investments which worth LE51 billion, while the central region is to receive LE22.1 billion with a percentage of 23.9 per cent in addition to a percentage of 20.9 per cent for the northern Upper Egypt region which is valued at LE19.3 billion.
Some international organisations such as the World Bank have been involved in the development plan of Upper Egypt as such plans are targeting the development of the poor and most needy villages which are in dire need of water and sanitary drainage stations, health centers, clinics as well as other service projects.
Meanwhile, a republican decree was issued to set up an investment free zone in Aswan on an area of 187 feddans which comprises 160 projects that will provide as many as 15,000 job opportunities for youths in Upper Egypt.
The new zone is expected to achieve dlrs 1.1 billion of local added value and would contribute to increasing exports by dlrs 675 million annually.
Several projects in the new zone have been implemented by the Armed Forces Engineering Authority and “Long Live Egypt” Fund which allocations reaching up LE609 million, including LE320 from “Long Live Egypt” Fund and LE289 million from the budget of the Planning and Administrative Reform Ministry to promote the living standards of Aswan residents.
