CAIRO - Egyptians living abroad have been launching initiatives and suggesting ways to save the Egyptian economy in the wake of the threat from the United States to cut its aid to Egypt. Thinker, writer and journalist Mohamed Abdel-Hakam Diab, who returned from exile when last year's revolution erupted, sees that we can easily do without American aid and immediately begin real development and progress in all fields, rather than investment only. He stresses that the development is the solution. “If the State's resources are properly employed, Egypt will be a country offering aid to other countries and not vice versa,” Diab adds. He says that this is not surprising, as Egypt at one time provided aid to other countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia, depending on the available resources. Regrettably, Mubarak's regime spent 30 years squandering these resources. Diab told El-Osboa newspaper that the State should pay more attention to comprehensive economic, social, cultural and educational development. “We should have short- and long-term projects, with a specific deadline, while the Government should encourage young people to launch small ventures and facilitate soft loans for them to start these ventures. “The State should intervene in the process of development, to ensure its quick and effective implementation,” he concluded. Hala Hussein, a media official in a Cairo-based Swiss company, thinks it's best to abandon US aid, because it makes Egypt subordinate to America. She says that the financial part of the aid could be offset by joint military-civilian projects, which would help reduce unemployment which has risen dramatically in past year, due to the political and economic turmoil in Egypt. Most Egyptians would be very happy to participate, provided that these projects are run by honest, competent figures, approved by Egyptians and the NGOs that help run small projects. “In Canada where I live, when someone wants to establish his own venture, he can go to one of the non-profit organisations working in this area. It, in turn, studies the project carefully and provides him with a consultant who remains with him until his project has been established. “Furthermore, it also provides him with a free training programme about economic principles,” Hala explains. According to Marwa Sabri, a journalist living in the United States, dropping the American aid will hurt the US, not Egypt. “This financial aid enables America to impose its influence on and dictate its terms to Egypt. Above all, it is considered to be part and parcel of the peace treaty which Egypt signed with Israel in 1979, which is why the United States wants to ensure it continues, serving the interests of its ally, Israel,” she comments. Marwa believes that the problem doesn't lie in giving up US aid or the lack of alternatives, but in the confusion, fragmentation and mistrust in Egyptian society. “The Egyptian people are in dire need of uniting, activating the rule of law and dealing with important issues,” she adds. Marwa Bedeiwi, living in Saudi Arabia, stresses the need to dispense with all forms of aid as we have the right to make our own decisions and find alternatives that require a collective, clear conscience for the sake of our beloved country. She believes that Egypt has a lot of potential, but it needs to be properly managed to bear fruit. “We need to exploit the available resources in a professional manner,” she adds. Ashraf Nesseem, a media official working in the United Arab Emirates, believes that dropping US aid is a minor thing when compared with Egypt's budget, its wealth and its looted money. “We need to shake off our political and military subordination to America. We must create a strong national economy. This might take at least ten years of hard work in a democratic environment under an honest and clean leadership. Ahmed el-Menshawi, the owner of an advertising company in Germany, says that the Egypt should restructure its economy and encourage the productive sectors which have gradually faded or vanished over the past decade, in order to push the wheel of production and development forwards. “The Government should improve healthcare, education and agriculture, which can be considered as the security valve for any modern country,” he adds.
