Government initiatives should promote sustainable economic and social development by encouraging members of the private sector practice corporate-social responsibility (CSR) programmes, Minister of Social Solidarity Ghada Waly said.
During the second annual forum on Social Responsibility in Egypt held on Tuesday, Waly added that the ministry has provided financial support to low-income people through it Social and Dignity programmes, which provides services to socio-economically disadvantaged single women and elderly members of Egyptian society. The Forsa programme aims to provide services to nearly 5 million citizens in 1043 villages. The programme has already served 2.5 million Egyptians.
In collaboration with the Commercial International Bank (CIB), the ministry launched its Bena Misr Ahla initiative (With us, Egypt is Better) to monitor the monitor and develop the quality of care services for Egyptian citizens. The programme’s representatives will work with community-based leaders and will attempt to develop nursing homes.
“The ministry is working on three main axes: protection, mentoring, and health. I also believe that we need to coordinate together as ministries to achieve development,” Waly added.” The ministry database includes 8,768 NGO, 506 handicapped homes and 186 nurseries working in the care sector.
Minister of Local Development Ahmed Zaki Badr said that the government is targeting developing governorates of Upper Egypt and Sinai to provide citizens with jobs.
Badr admitted that the government had fallen short of the necessary performance to help citizens. To remedy this, he demanded that all ministries work to achieve the desirable development.
While, Hatem Khater, the founder of Terous Misr, said that the establishment of CSR units in ministries and various institutions were the key recommendation that came out of the first forum last year.
Khater explained that there are some ministries who have responded to these recommendations and established collaborative units that include private entities to activate the role of CSR, including the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Social Solidarity. He urged all ministries to apply the principles of CSR.
Chairman of CSR Egypt Hassan Mustafa pointed out the necessity of launching national projects aimed at building human capital to allow the country to compete with others in the region.
Mustafa stated that there must be more done to promote the partnership between the government and the private sector. Additionally, he claimed that government agencies and corporations must be incorporated to reach common objectives that serve citizens.
