CBE governor, communications minister discuss expanding banking services in villages

Amer witnesses signing cooperation protocol to train workers of banking sector in fields of information security, data analysis, financial technology, AI

The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) Governor, Tarek Amer, said he discussed with the Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Amr Talaat, possible methods to benefit from technology in providing banking services in villages and remote areas.
Amer praised the fruitful cooperation between the CBE and the ministry.
This bilateral cooperation aims to improve citizens' lives and make financial services available to new customer segments in a way that support financial inclusion in the country, he said.
Amer and Talaat witnessed on Thursday the signing of a cooperation protocol between the Egyptian Banking Institute (EBI) and the Information Technology Institute (ITI) to train workers of the banking sector in the fields of information security, data analysis, financial technology, and artificial intelligence (AI).
Amer stressed that the EBI is seeing great development, praising the role the institute plays as the training arm of the CBE in supporting the banking sector and qualifying local, Arab, and African cadres based on the latest international systems.
The protocol was signed by Abdelaziz Nosseir, the executive director of the EBI, and Heba Saleh, the chairperson of ITI.
The protocol comes in line with the state's strategy for digital transformation and developing human cadres who can become the main base for the cognitive economy and reinforcing the determination of both sides to maximise means of cooperation through specialised training programmes which adopt the latest technologies that would enable the CBE to achieve financial inclusion.
The protocol aims to spread awareness of the latest developments in IT, as well as to cooperate in holding and organising specialised conferences and competitions to support cognitive and innovative skill exchanges.
For his part, Talaat said that human resource development in the field of IT and localising the culture of creativity and innovation across the country are the main axes of his ministry's strategy.
He stressed that the ministry is working to achieve financial inclusion, in cooperation with the concerned bodies in the state, according to the policies put forward by the National Payments Council through encouraging e-payments. This is along with activating the role of Egypt Post in achieving financial inclusion given its prevalence across the country in cooperation with the CBE.
Moreover, Talaat explained that the ITI plays a major role in contributing to supporting the IT industry in Egypt and meeting the needs of the local, Arab, and regional markets as well as providing qualified human cadres through providing training programmes that result in the graduation of professionals in all IT and communication fields, as well as spreading awareness of the latest global trends in these fields.