The Japanese embassy in Egypt will support private companies’ plans to modernise Egypt’s transport sector through setting new efficient system for passenger cars running on natural gas, Japan’s ambassador Masaki Noke told Daily News Egypt.
“Passenger cars are very common means of transport in Egypt. Japanese companies were invited by the government to collaborate in developing a less polluting and more efficient passenger cars through natural gas operations,” the ambassador mentioned.
A private Japanese company delegation visited Egypt in mid-October to discuss several investment topics including transportation cooperation, the ambassador assured, noting that the delegation met with the Egyptian president Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli, and several high-level Egyptian officials.
Japan already has significant investments in Egypt, including transportation and electricity, through the support of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
In 2005, JICA financed the modernisation of the Borg Al Arab airport which was inaugurated in 2010. It helped the airport to increase the number of passengers twofold. In order to handle the increasing numbers of passengers in the airport, JICA signed a new loan agreement to expand the facility, according to a JICA office in Egypt.
JICA is also implementing the first phase of Metro Line 4 in Cairo. Notably, JICA signed in 2012 an agreement for the first instalment of the loan to finance the project, up to ¥32.71bn, where JICA stipulated in the agreement that the project is to be awarded to a Japanese company. So far, only Taisei Corporation applied, according to a past interview with Yoshifumi Omura, chief representative of JICA Egypt Office on 3 June.
