The exceptional circumstances imposed by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic have altered the way the world makes payments, according to Amr Mahfouz, CEO of the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA).
Mahfouz said that the exceptional circumstances of COVID-19 have imposed a new pattern of life on the world. This has contributed to creating the right environment for the adoption of digital services and, transactions and a greater reliance on new models of work and distance learning.
During a speech at the opening of the Egypt Economic Summit 2020, he added that this was, in turn, reflected in the acceleration of the global transformation towards a digital economy. It has also confirmed, beyond any doubt, the Egyptian government’s path in implementing its plans to increase digital services is correct.
The government plans also include integrating and promoting digital solutions, and making them available to all segments of society through an effective financial inclusion system.
Mahfouz reviewed the features of the strategy to build a digital Egypt, including digital transformation, building digital skills, and encouraging digital creativity. This is based on three pillars: the inclusive digital economy; secure infrastructure and legislation; and governance.
The experimental operation of the Egypt Digital platform was also carried out nationwide in July, by providing 34 digital government services online.
Work is being carried out to launch the rest of the services provided by the government, so that 72 government services will be digital by the end of this year. The eventual goal is to make a total of 550 services available online by 2023.
The platform provides citizens with different ways to pay service fees through electronic payment methods, which include credit cards, electronic collection companies and mobile wallets.
