Ebeid tells parliament on implementing Mubarak's reform program
Egypt, Economics, 12/18/1999

Prime Minister Atef Ebeid said the Government statement he is going to deliver before the People's Assembly today constitutes a real Interpretation of President Hosni Mubarak's directives to the cabinet since it has been commissioned.

In an exclusive interview with Middle East News Agency MENA Editor-in-Chief Mahfouz el-Ansary, Ebeid said the statement addresses all walks of life, handles their problems and sets programs and solutions for these problems.

Ebeid unleashed a string of practical measures and decisions that would immediately resolve the problems irritating many social categories.

The statement cites the extension of health care umbrella for the governmental employees to cover all their family members. It grants more than one million family access to a monthly pension, draws out radical and permanent solutions for all the victims of the money-investment companies which proved a crook, creates job opportunities for about 650,000 over the year 2000.

"This statement identifies a set of administrative procedures and mechanisms that would provide better treatment from the bureaucratic system to the public and the immediate embarking on developing this system," Ebeid said.

"We have been keen that the statement addresses all categories without exception, including the poverty-stricken, the low-income, the students, the workers, the businessmen, the governmental employees, the farmers and the scientists," said Ebeid.

"The statement tackles another perspective, namely identifying the strategies of the national work over the next stage together with the rules and commitments to be undertaken by every sector," he added.

"It also addresses the vocationers who are being manipulated by the usurers, the youth who are looking for jobs and even with the humble peddler who is being chased everywhere by the authorities and is in dire need for a place to sell his product," Ebeid expounded.

"The policy statement is concerned with the Egyptian consumer and the importance of protecting him particularly within the framework of a free economy which should be a bless not a curse for him," said Ebeid.

"It regulates the relation between the citizen and the government," said Ebeid, noting that all the state services should be accessible to the people in a way that would respect the people's dignity, and spare their time and efforts.

He added that the statement likewise sheds light on the government's keenness to improve the employee's conditions by granting him financial and training bonus that would further encourage him to carry out his duty in an efficient way.

The statement depicts the labor strategy which covers the future relation between the employee and the employer and preserves the rights of each side in order to finally cater for the necessary funds to expand the production bases and build new projects to create more jobs.

"Emanating from great concern to build up a modern state based on science and refined, educated type of people, the statement has taken up the development of the educational process and the sustained training," said Ebeid.

"A strong and sound economy does not only need strong production bases but also marketing institutions which in turn require a highly professional administrative apparatus," Ebeid told MENA Editor-in-Chief.

Ebeid urged cashing on the foreign relations to serve the economic development strategy, adding that these relations have to be afoot with the political relations President Mubarak has forged with the outside world.

He underlined the importance of optimal investment of the country's natural resources to be turned into a source of national income.

"Teamwork is one of the basics of the government's performance where the assignments are well identified, initiatives are certainly open and the corporate liability is always there," added Ebeid.

"The government is seeking creation of new cadres of professional leaders and the promotion of the executive apparatus in order to be always able to produce efficient leadership," said Ebeid.

"Egypt is a state of free economy and the misconception purporting that a free economy would undermine the state should be rectified," noted the Premier.

"A state of free economy is automatically a strong state that plays an important role to give what Caesar's to Caesar and pinpoint the responsibility of each side towards the other and towards the country," elaborated Ebeid. "The free economy neither mean anarchy or cheating, tax-evasion or manipulation of consumers," concluded Ebeid.

Previous Stories:
  American appreciation for Mubarak's reform efforts   (12/8/1999)
  Egypt backs up UK campaign to reform WTO   (12/7/1999)
  Mubarak's address on domestic policy to Parliament, Shura Council   (11/13/1999)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search