Mubarak determines guidelines of the government performance
Egypt, Politics, 3/13/2002

Egyptian President Mubarak has set a number of guidelines which govern the performance of the government and the ministries in the fields of economy, new projects and the services extended to the masses.

The President also determined the assignment of the ministries of aviation, transport and health and their goals in the upcoming stage.

This came at the Cabinet meeting held yesterday under President Mubarak at the presidential palace in Heliopolis after the ministers of aviation, transport and health took the constitutional oath in presence of Prime Minister Atef Ebeid.

Minister of Information Safwat A1 Sherif said after the government meeting under the chairmanship of President Hosni Mubarak at the Presidency Headquarters, on Tuesday that President Mubarak met with the three new ministers after they took the constitutional oath in the presence of Prime Minister Atef Ebeid.

The President stressed several issues regarding upgrading the service and utilities affiliated to the three ministries, in the field of transport and railways, and the necessary development in the fields of roads, tunnels, bridges and maintenance and also seaports and projects being carried out in these sectors.

Information Minister Safwat A1 Sherif said that as regards civil aviation, President Mubarak Monday issued a decision defining the authorities and asked that there should be commitment to them and restructuring the ministry of civil aviation.

Minister of Information Safwat A1 Sherif said that as regards the Ministry of Health, President Mubarak asked that greater attention and utmost care should be given to health services at the level of the village and rural areas and to maintain the health of the child and mother.

President Mubarak stressed the responsibility of the Ministry of Health in planning and work in the field of controlling the population growth rates.

The Minister of Information added that at the government meeting, President Mubarak underlined principles as regards the performance of the government as follows:

Collective responsibility

First: The importance of control and field follow-up of the performance of the organizations, sectors and ministries affiliated to the Ministers and probing problems and issues on the ground and evaluating the performance of the heads of sectors and organizations and leaderships on the basis of their ability to do their role and upgrade their utilities on the ground.

Second: Collective responsibility of the Council of Ministers, stressing that a decision should be referred, before it is issued, to the Cabinet to undergo a full and objective discussion. All views should be expressed and all aspects discussed. Then there will be commitment to decisions taken.

Third: Higher leaderships inside ministries shall be chosen on objective bases and distinguished ability of administration and integrity and field work and enlightened vision and accumulated experience.

Confidence

Fourth: Press statements by senior officials should not be a substitute to work.

The confidence of the people may be won only when citizens see performance, success, development and follow up.

Hence, any statement should be realistic and officials should keep away from rosy promises which cannot be carried out or which are far from reality.

Fifth: Discipline inside state organizations and respect of rules and statutes. There should be no excess and there should be immediate accountability.

Statutes should be developed to realise discipline in the performance of state organizations, on the inside, and in the services they provide for the masses.

Minister of Information Safwat A1 Sherif said in his statements that President Mubarak also stressed during his meeting with the council of ministers, a number of other principles as follows:

Sixth: Ministers and governors shall travel only on official, inevitable and necessary missions to represent the state with the approval of the President of the Republic.

The number of members of accompanying delegations should be limited. Ministers are responsible for the travel of heads of sectors and organizations in order to limit the absence of responsible leaderships so that they may assume their responsibilities for the discipline and management of sectors and agencies affiliated to them.

Seventh: There should be commitment to carry out laws and statutes, regulating work, which are issued by law, Presidential decree or a Cabinet decree. All ministries and organizations should be committed to these rules, laws and prerogatives.

When there is a difference or contradiction, the matter should be settled decisively by the council of Ministers and its decision shall be binding. When there is a legal difference, it will be referred to the legal authority concerned to issue a Fatwa (edict) which will be binding on all.

Third: Imports: Priority should be given to the use of goods manufactured in Egypt. Imports should be in the narrowest limits and should be confined to goods which are not manufactured in Egypt and when there are no comparable local and national goods.

The government should check the specifications of investment goods or other imported from abroad to ensure that specifications are compatible with similar goods manufactured in Egypt.

President Mubarak said that as long as there are Egyptian products, there should be commitment to use these products. Ministers should observe this and make periodical check ups.

Economy The Minister of Information said that in the field of economy, President Mubarak stressed the following principles:

1- To complete drawing up the 2002/2003 budget and refer it to the President, after it is discussed by the Cabinet, so that it may be referred to the People's Assembly on the date stipulated in the constitution.

2- To review the BOT system which should not be resorted to unless there is a dominant necessity and it should be resorted to with the approval of the council of ministers and in accordance with rules, foremost among which is full and direct financing from abroad. This system should not be resorted to except in necessary cases in order to maintain the right of future generations because this system imposes burdens on the transfer of foreign currencies abroad.

In the field of new projects:

1- The government shall lay down timetables for check up to which ministers will be committed to execution and also the governors. The President shall visit the sites of work of these projects.

2- No new national projects shall be listed unless they serve national economy and are within the strategy of the state and within the framework of priorities.

3- No new projects shal1 be launched if there are alternatives to utilities existing potentials in an optimum manner or carry out expansions as a substitute for new full projects.

There should be commitment to earmarked allocations in the general budget of the state and there should be no excess in any form.

4- Work will not begin on any project except in accordance with economic and technical feasibility studies and only when funding is available. Minister of Information Safwat A1 Sherif said that as regards services rendered to the masses, President Mubarak underlined several principles as follows:

1- The government should give priority to the services sectors which serve the masses which could be developed through sound management and control on performance. Officials should go down to the base and follow up the service at the level of the Central Governmental represented in ministers or senior officials.

President Mubarak said governors are responsible for the services agencies under their jurisdiction and through field presence among the masses to know their problems and solve them.

The President said that the development of services is in performance and control more than material needs.

Officials in many positions should not use potentials as a peg for failure to provide the best service.

Information Minister Safwat A1 Sherif said that President Mubarak stressed the following as regards the work plan in the coming period in the three ministries and portfolios of which were taken over by three new ministers:

- As regards civil aviation: the restructuring of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and to check all plans of its projects.

- As regards the Ministry of Transport: To make a full study and evaluation of the performance of all means of public transport and to upgrade their utilities -- railways and public transport between governorates -- roads, bridges, tunnels and seaports and to check elements of safety in a regular and periodical manner.

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