- EGYPT
- January 21, 2013
- 5 minutes read
Four-Axis Presidential Project to Build Modern Egypt
The Egyptian Presidency is to put forward a major project that aims to build "modern Egypt" for public discussion soon.
The project will help provide the daily needs of citizens in the near term and an alternative vision for the shape of the State in the long run.
A well-informed source close to the presidency revealed that President Mohamed Morsi met a few days ago, and away from the glare of mass media, members of the "Presidential Project for Egypt’s Renaissance" as a prelude to putting the project to public dialogue.
The project is based on four axes, namely integrated development, economic development, urbanization – out of the narrow Nile valley, and building a modern State.
The same source explained that the project would involve "concrete" development sub-projects that aim to increase production, populate areas outside the narrow Nile valley, deal seriously with the problem of unemployment and "structural corruption" in State institutions, and launch integrated projects for rural development.
The source further revealed that President Morsi told members of the "presidential project" that results must have a clear effect on the lives of citizens, without delay, saying: "People in need cannot be good judges", meaning that in order to build a human being capable of good decision-making, his/her basic needs must be met first.
During the meeting, Hussein Kazaz, Assistant to the President for Economic Development, expressed fears that public dialogue about the project may face "difficulties" as a result of what he described as "the country’s acute state of polarization right now", but he agreed to submit the project for discussion soon.
According to the same source, Kazaz said the presidential project will take two strategic routes – the first is "dealing effectively with urgent problems, such as security, railways and bread", while the second is "setting the main elements needed to complete the project in order for it to achieve its final to build a new human being, productive and capable of changing the face of Egypt".
According to the source, experts and institutions will be invited "irrespective of ideological background" through the presidency to explore their experiences and initiatives, with the aim of creating a partnership and cooperation to find common ideas.
In the same context, Ahmed Imran, Adviser to Egyptian President for Community Development, revealed that "several national projects" will be launched soon.
Imran said that those will include a "National Project for Literacy", as well as other projects related to automating services to citizens, such as the real estate registry office and food subsidies.
