Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait stressed that developing the health, education, and cultural sectors is at the top of the government’s concerns, as the coming period will witness many measures to develop public services.
This will be done by strengthening cooperation with development partners locally and internationally within the framework of the state’s efforts to lay the foundations for sustainable development in accordance with Egypt’s 2030 Vision.
During his meeting with a delegation from the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Cairo, Maait expressed his appreciation for the development cooperation process with Japan, pointing to the government’s keenness to benefit from its inspiring experience in the field of human development, which is a pioneering model.
He also said that it is essential to support development efforts to confront the phenomenon of poverty and improve the quality of life of citizens, increases their chances of obtaining work through the skills they acquire, and complement the efforts made by the state to upgrade the infrastructure in various parts of the country.
He added that the government is exerting every effort to maintain the quality of public services by strengthening governance systems, establishing the best global management practices, and strategic planning.
Furthermore, Maait affirmed the government’s keenness to benefit from the financial and technical support provided by the JICA, especially with regard to cooperation in the fields of health, education, and culture through comprehensive health insurance projects, Egyptian-Japanese schools, and the Grand Egyptian Museum.
He also indicated the government’s interest in encouraging the return of Japanese tourists to Egypt, especially in light of the decline of the coronavirus pandemic, explaining that there are broad prospects for joint action to achieve further progress, especially in terms of developing trade and investment relations with Japan.
For its part, the delegation of the JICA affirmed that Japan is keen to enhance development cooperation with Egypt with a focus on supporting human development efforts in the sectors in question, pointing out that they are ready to provide full support to the comprehensive health insurance system, and to participate in the development of Japanese schools in Egypt.
The delegation also indicated the agency’s interest in following up on efforts to provide Japanese support for infrastructure projects and exploring new areas of cooperation, especially with regard to confronting the phenomenon of climate change in conjunction with Egypt’s hosting of the 27th Conference of Parties to the Climate Change Convention (COP 27) in Sharm El-Sheikh this November.
