CAIRO: Members of the People's Assembly (PA) will hold discussions on the fate of the Agrium fertilizer plant in Damietta today to bring an end to the controversy that has gripped the governorate and halted construction on the project since April. The PA had commissioned a fact-finding committee on the issue which presented its findings Tuesday. The 33-page committee report did not offer one concrete resolution, instead urging the formation of another committee, assembled from the government, to decide on the plant's fate. The report advanced proposals of either moving the plant or isolating it from the nearby tourist area of Ras El Bar, either by planting trees or digging a canal between the factory and the surrounding area. "The committee thinks a government committee should be formed to study the financing alternatives necessary if the project is halted or moved, the report said. The report also concluded that it would cost at least $500 million to move the plant, according to figures given to the committee by Agrium Egypt. Meanwhile, around 3,000 Damietta residents converged on Tuesday in front of the Doctors' Syndicate in the governorate to continue their protests against the construction of the plant. The protestors called for the relocation of the plant, further strengthening the local position against the construction six kilometers away. The fact-finding committee commissioned by the PA to investigate the Agrium case has cleared the project of any impropriety. The report concluded that there was no indication of any financial or administrative violations by either Agrium Egypt or the various government bodies involved in the project. It added that the environmental aspect of the project had been addressed appropriately and that the only point of contention was the plant's location. The committee had found no evidence of illegal commissions that some newspaper reports alleged were paid by the company to facilitate the procurement of the permits necessary to begin construction. Damietta residents remain opposed to the construction of the fertilizer plant on the outskirts of the popular tourist destination Ras El-Bar. Aside from the environmental concerns, there is also a concern over the impact on tourism in the area, which is a vital source of revenue.
