Egypt to quickly build modern communication infrastructure
Egypt, Economics, 2/1/2000

President Hosni Mubarak reviewed Sunday the goals of the national plan for communications and information at a meeting with members of the Information and Technology Committee.

Minister of information, Safwat Al-Sherif said, following the meeting, that the plan was outlined in the following strategic goals:

First: To establish an advanced industry based on the Egyptian youth and occupies an advanced position among Egypt's industrial and services exports.

Second: To build an information community which absorbs the huge flow of information and knowledge.

Third: To serve national issues and raise the standard of living of the individual and family.

Fourth: To prepare citizens to absorb the new mechanisms and maximize benefiting from them.

President Mubarak affirmed that it should be taken into consideration our need to more building which provides job opportunities for young graduates at a comparatively small cost, in addition to the role of communications in supporting all economic and social activities.

Al-Sherif pointed out that the axes of action which were stressed by President Mubarak are to modernize the infrastructure of communications and post, develop the communication and information industry, develop the national demand for information and its usage, in addition to human development.

A1-Sherif said the investments required from the government and the private sector, according to feasibility studies reviewed by the Minister of Communications, are estimated as follows:
24 million pounds in the current fiscal year 99/2000.

514 million pounds in fiscal 2000/2001.

537 million pounds in fiscal 2001/2002.

President Mubarak affirmed that the basis in funding these investments is the private sector.

According to recommendations approved by President Mubarak, timetables should be laid down and detailed plans should be set before the cabinet, beginning a project to develop the infrastructure of communications by setting up a speedway network to be funded by revenues of licenses of national companies which will be assigned the task of providing communications services.

President Mubarak agreed that a bill in the field of communications be set before legal and legislative experts, taking into account similar legislation in advanced countries with the aim of providing modern communications services for the Egyptian society.

The cabinet will be asked to add activities related to the communications and information industry as part of the Investment Incentives Law. The cabinet is also requested to examine reducing sales tax on computers 5 per cent.

As regards the development of the National Post Authority, the Minister of Communications presented a plan of financial and administrative reorganization: the introduction of new services, the mechanization of mail boxes services and maximizing the role of the Post Authority in the field of electronic trade, considering that it is a suitable instrument to distribute commodities in all parts of Egypt.

The strategy and policies also included developing the communications and information industry by setting up technologically advanced areas and a company to develop the industry of information technology.

As regards technologically advanced areas, Minister of Information said that the first area at the Sixth of October City will have several activities including software industry, information services, the Internet, communications, the industry of computers and all relevant equipment, consultations, activities of training on the technology of communications and information and trade activities.

The Minister said that human development will be realized through two kinds of training:

First: distinguished and specialized training.

Second: To train young graduates and give them access to advanced technology.

The Minister said that the goal is to train 5,000 trainees annually under the distinguished training programme to graduate information experts, programmers and network engineers.

The project will be carried out by international companies which will lay down training programs and will be executed by the Egyptian private sector.

Fifty centres are to be set up within three years to serve citizens, businessmen, students and researches through the use of the Internet, high networks and other applications such as electronic mail and distance-education.

The Minister said that among the main axes of the plan is to develop information and communications, promote national demand on information and its usage through the national bases of information and information sector projects.

President Mubarak has agreed to lay down a timetable to complete the project of the national number of citizens either through the government or by setting up a company to undertake the technical management of the project so that identity cards be issued to all citizens within a period ranging between two and four years.

With regard to the national number of establishments, President Mubarak has given directives to mechanize all trade registration offices and draw up bills for legal amendments which enable the use of a unified national number for economic establishments according to a timetable within two years.

President Mubarak has given directives that a survey of agricultural land be made and asked the government to mechanize registration offices in accordance with a timetable within five years.

He asked the government to prepare a data base for buildings through the mechanization of license offices in the local councils and to link them with the real estate tax offices within three years. A data base on municipal councils should be completed to give a clear and accurate information about areas and production in each local unit within five years.

President Mubarak asked that the data base be completed according to conducted economic and social feasibility studies, its usage should be generalized through the Internet within one year.

As regards the investment map, President Mubarak gave directives that a data base be established within two years on investment projects in order to serve investors.

Minister of Information said that Minister of Communications presented projects of information sector in the fields of education and police as regards the development of civil registration and police offices, as well as health, justice, tourism, local administration, finance, higher education, scientific research, culture, supply, domestic trade, manpower, planning, economy, foreign trade and housing.

President Mubarak asked the Ministry of Economy to prepare, in collaboration with all other ministries, plans and executive programmes for exports.

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