Manal Awad, Egypt's Minister of Local Development, welcomed Alessandro Fracassetti, the UNDP Resident Representative in Egypt, at the ministry's headquarters in the New Administrative Capital. The meeting focused on updates regarding cooperative initiatives between the Ministry of Local Development and UNDP, particularly the EU-funded Technical Support Project for Decentralization and Integrated Local Development, with a specific focus on Upper Egypt. This project, now underway, spans four governorates: Fayoum, Beni Suef, Luxor, and Aswan. Further discussions covered various local economic development projects planned in these targeted governorates. These include establishing an industrial complex and integrated service center for olives in Youssef El-Seddiq Center, Fayoum; a center for medical and aromatic plant industries and an oil extraction prototype unit in Beni Suef; a wholesale market in Luxor's Al-Habil region; and a comprehensive logistics, industrial, and agricultural product trade center for dates in Aswan. The meeting was attended by Heba Wafa, Director of Local Development, Social Inclusion, and Women's Empowerment Programs at UNDP, Hesham El-Helbawy, the Minister's Assistant for National Projects, and Hossam Qawish, Assistant Minister for International Cooperation. Minister Awad emphasized the need to accelerate project execution rates and enhance work progress on the technical support project across the ministry and the four target governorates. She called for a detailed implementation timeline for regular tracking. Furthermore, the minister underscored the importance of ensuring that these economic development projects directly benefit citizens and support sustainable development, aligning with Egypt's economic development strategy. She advocated for rigorous governance in managing these projects to maximize benefits, aligning with state priorities and citizen needs. The minister also urged for the rapid development of next fiscal year's technical support project plans, including enhancing local administration systems and developing human resources in governorates to foster a collaborative approach to planning. In response, Alessandro Fracassetti thanked Minister Awad for the ministry's ongoing efforts in supporting and accurately reviewing the technical support project's plans and implementation. He noted the alignment of these efforts with Egypt's government program for 2024-2027, aimed at advancing local administration and implementing decentralization. Fracassetti also expressed his readiness to explore new cooperation avenues with the Ministry of Local Development, reinforcing Minister Awad's approach to addressing citizens' needs, advancing government plans, and underscoring the ministry's essential role in initiating impactful projects and initiatives across governorates.
