Minister of Communications and Information Technology Amr Talaat discussed cooperation in implementing the projects of the ministry in the Decent Life Presidential Initiative with Elena Panova — the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations — and Antonio Vigilante — an International Consultant specialising in development.
The video conference meeting was also attended by Raafat Hendy, the Deputy Minister of Communications and Information Technology for Infrastructure Affairs.
During the meeting, Talaat explained that the Decent Life initiative is one of the largest national projects receiving great attention from the state, where the efforts of all sectors are combined to develop the Egyptian countryside.
He highlighted the participation of his ministry in the initiative with the aim of raising the efficiency of the information infrastructure of villages and enabling citizens to effectively use information and communication technology within the framework of four axes.
They include connecting villages with fibre-optic cables to raise the efficiency of internet services, improving the quality of communication services, providing sophisticated postal services, and enhancing digital literacy.
He added that during the first phase of the initiative, investments amounting to about EGP 5.8bn will be pumped to raise the efficiency of internet connectivity for more than one million residential and government buildings in the villages of the initiative to be the mainstay for providing Egypt’s digital services and implementing the state’s goals to improve citizens’ standard of living.
Work is also underway to establish 1,000 new mobile stations that support 4G technology, in addition to developing 839 postal outlets to provide financial, governmental, and postal services. A number of programmes aiming to develop and build digital capabilities and transform Egyptian villages into interactive, productive digital societies will also be implemented.
Furthermore, the meeting discussed ways of providing support for the projects of the ministry and its affiliated entities within the framework of the initiative.
On her part, Panova praised the remarkable progress that Egypt made in the field of developing communications infrastructure. She also praised the efforts made to develop digital skills and prepare cadres in various communications and information technology fields.
This meeting comes within the framework of the efforts made by the UN resident coordinator to maximise the use of all mechanisms and organisations of the United Nations in Egypt.
This is to integrate efforts and use the available resources in the best way in line with national priorities. Coordination is also underway by contributing to the United Nations’ 2023-2027 Action Plan, as well as finding new mechanisms in the field of innovation support.
