Randa Hamza, Assistant Minister of International Cooperation for Planning and Monitoring, has revealed that the total portfolio of development funds received during fiscal year (FY) 2019/20 amounted to the equivalent of $25bn.
Hamza added that of these funds, 22% was dedicated to housing and wastewater management, while 19% was dedicated to energy and transportation.
She added that during 2020, the Ministry of International Cooperation introduced structural reforms to restructure the framework of governance. These were put in place to enhance the monitoring of progress in projects funded by multilateral development partners.
It also aimed to ensure the collection of data to improve decision-making, government performance, accountability, and transparency of information with stakeholders.
“This comes within the framework of the Ministry of International Cooperation’s Presidential Decree No 303 of 2004,” Hamza said, “This is to follow-up and monitor national agencies that benefit from foreign development financing within the framework of the general economic policy of the country to achieve national development priorities.”
Her remarks came during her presentation in front of the Planning and Budgeting Committee, which presented comprehensive data on development finances during FY 2019/20.
During the presentation, Hamza also outlined reforms that were implemented by the Ministry of International Cooperation to enhance collaborative governance. These also covered project monitoring through creating more open, transparent, engaging and empowering spaces for effective implementation
The meeting was held at the headquarters of the House of Representatives’ Planning and Budgeting Committee, in the presence of Sahar Salah, Director of the General Administration of Planning and Monitoring.
Hamza added that the ministry holds quarterly meetings for collaborative monitoring in the presence of various stakeholders. These include the development partners, the beneficiaries, in addition to high-level representatives from the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE).
The meetings are held to review the status of ongoing projects, as well as the accomplishments and targets that were achieved throughout the entire cycle of the project.
As a result of this periodic monitoring, it was revealed that in January 2020, 16% of projects faced challenges in their implementation. This had decreased to only 2% by the end of December 2020, and that about 98% of the projects are on the right track in implementation with no constraints.
Hamza added that, in the past year, the Ministry of International Cooperation has carried out several field visits to projects funded by development partners. This came despite the circumstances caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Visits carried out include to the Sinai Community Development Program, and agricultural and rural development projects in the governorates of Qena and Luxor. Visits were also made to the Rod El-Farag wastewater treatment plant, to present evidence-based success stories and porotypes for international partnerships for development.
According to its annual report for 2020, the Ministry of International Cooperation secured development financing agreements worth $9.8bn during the year. Of this amount, $6.7bn went to financing sovereign projects, and $3.1bn went to support of the private sector.
