Shura Council reviews plans to modernise Egypt
Egypt, Economics, 12/31/2001

The Shura Council Saturday reviewed a report drawn by specialized Committees at the Council on the issue of modernizing Egypt and plans to realize this aim so that Egypt's modernization may become a national project.

Counselor Abdel Rahman Farag Mohsen, Chairman of the Council Constitutional and Legislative Committee, stress the foundations of modernization will be represent integrated programmes for development which complement development projects that were carried out during the past two decades.

One of the mainstays of modernization is to spread deepen democratic thinking, strengthens the multi-party system develop the electoral process in order to ensure its integrity neutrality and to widen popular participation.

Mohsen stressed that youth should play a basic role development of society and modernization of the country effective and real participation in political, social cultural action and to prepare youth to face the challenge the future and give an opportunity to youth to assume positions of responsibility at the various levels.

Counselor Mohsen said political parties are a basic in building the state under the modernization plan.

Citizens should also participate in the management solution of public and private problems.

Ahmed Rashad Moussa, Chairman of the Economic Committee, referred to the problem of the chronic deficit in the trade balance that called for limiting imports and encouraging exports.

He called for the adoption of competitive prices of Egyptian goods, both at the local and external levels, and the improvement of quality.

He asked for a speedy solution of the problem of stagnant stocks and idle production capacities "which have gone beyond the safety limits".

He urged drawing up a national plan to deal with this problem.

Counselor Moussa asked that a series of plans be drawn up to upgrade economic, trade, financial and currency policies.

The production base should be expanded and diversified. Investments should be increased and new fob opportunities should be provided in sectors that show fast growth.

He called for a "leap" in non-conventional exports that have a high added value.

The role of business organizations in economic development should be activated, he said. He noted that the private sector is responsible for 70 per cent of the economic force in Egypt.

There has been an increase of 5 per cent in national income during the past 10 years, mainly as a result of the expansion of the role of the private sector.

Chairman of the industry and energy committee, discussed Egypt's modernization at the industrial level.

This, he said, called for drafting an industrial plan as a long-term national project but it should include short and medium term plans for the modernization of industry and be related to policies to Egypt in the various spheres.

The industrial modernization plan should call for raising the level of performance technological skills to world levels and the improvement of the workers, he said.

Dr. Farkhanda Hassan, Chairperson on the manpower development committee, said he Egyptian strategy to modernize administration is based on regulating human development, which is the substance of development.

Economic and social justice should be spread in all the different provinces of Egypt and among the various sections society.

Bridging the gap among the various classes of society or among men and women or the various provinces of the state and their administrative units is a guarantee to increase stability of society, she said.

She recommended the development of social care programmes to meet social needs and realize social solidarity.

Special attention should be given to the improvement of conditions of women and provide care for them at the educational, health and cultural levels and strengthening their participation in development in all fields at all levels up the top responsibility.

Dr. Farouq Ismail, Chairman of the Education and Scientific Research Committee, said that modernization of education called for boosting the capacities of university education institutions in order to keep pace with technical and knowledge progress and modernization of educational techniques applied at present.

There should be speedy response to the demands of change and development in the light of the needs of society, he said.

He urged the building of more universities to reduce density in classes.

Ismail said that modernization of pre-university educator requests building schools according to international standards and to increase the education budget and provide additional finance resources from the private sector and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOS) and foreign done' dons and assistance and to encourage collecting contribution from those who can afford it without affecting the principle of equal opportunities in education.

In the field of health and the environment, Dr. Maher Mahran, Chairman of the Committee said that the development and modernization of public and individual health calls for an overall national plan for health development to be drawn up by health experts under the minister of health.

The plan should be based on a national health data system reflecting conditions of Egyptian citizens and all elements that affected their health, directly or indirectly.

Attention should also be given to spreading health awareness in all fields, particularly in the fields of motherhood and childhood and provision of free urgent health care.

In the field of housing and utilities, engineer Suliman Metwalli, Chairman of the committee, said that modernization in the housing sector calls for development in building methods and drawing up housing plans and raising their efficiency to deal with changes. he believed that the real estate mortgage law car contribute in solving the housing problem.

In the field of Culture, Information and Tourism, Dr. Abdel Salam Abdel Ghaffar, Chairman of the Committee, called for strengthening and upholding the values of culture and preservation of cultural heritage.

He called for the development of awareness and knowledge in order to enrich awareness in a bid to "diagnose the present and explore the future.

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