Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly indicated that the economic reform programme implemented by the government helped Egypt cushion the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Egyptian Cabinet presented on Monday a detailed report to the House of Representatives and the Senate on the progress of the government programme since 2018.
Madbouly stressed that the government was keen to support the health sector.
The Egyptian Prime Minister also asserted that the government launched the National Programme for Structural Reforms intending to transform the Egyptian economy into a productive economy with competitive advantages while improving the business environment, enhancing the role of the private sector, and raising the efficiency of public institutions.
Furthermore, he hailed the full cooperation and coordination between the government and the two chambers of Parliament, thanking all members of the legislative authority, who are making strenuous efforts alongside the government to achieve the interests of the country and its people.
Madbouly indicated that the report includes five strategic goals, which are protecting national security and Egypt’s foreign policy, developing the Egyptian economy, raising the efficiency of the government’s performance, advancing employment levels, and improving the standard of living.
To preserve national security and Egypt’s foreign policy, the Prime Minister indicated that the government had to deal with four axes that include stability, water security, food security, and energy security.
He explained that Egypt exerted intensive efforts to secure the country’s land and coastal borders, confront infiltration and smuggling, and combat terrorist outposts.
The Prime Minister also referred to the government’s efforts to remove violations on state property in the context of preserving the rights of the people.
The report also dealt with the efforts of Egyptian diplomacy in implementing the vision of the political leadership to maximise national interests and to effectively deal with the growing and unprecedented challenges witnessed by the regional and international environment.
Furthermore, Madbouly confirmed that Egypt aims to preserve its national security by working to find peaceful solutions to regional conflicts. These efforts include intensifying consultation and coordination with Arab countries, enhancing cooperation, and strengthening joint Arab action mechanisms in the face of the various challenges facing the region.
Efforts also included an active movement to strengthen relations with African countries and African economic groupings.
Additionally, the report reviewed the efforts made to preserve Egypt’s water interests, including the success in presenting the Egyptian vision on the issue of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in the United Nations Security Council, which is considered the first time that the council has addressed an issue related to the management and exploitation of a common water resource.
He asserted that Egypt is trying to gain international support regarding the GERD issue to encourage Ethiopia to engage positively in the negotiating process to reach a binding legal agreement on filling and operating the dam.
The Egyptian government has also made efforts to develop water resources and conserve water in the irrigation process by lining canals, modernising the irrigation system, and establishing water desalination projects.
