Nasr meets representatives of WB, EIB, USAID, GIZ, AFDB

Minister of International Cooperation Sahar Nasr on Monday conferred with representatives of the World Bank, European Investment Bank (EIB), the African Development Bank (AFDB), The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) on means of supporting Egypt's economic reform program in the coming phase.

The meeting also included representatives from the embassies of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Switzerland, UK and the US.

The minister reviewed the achievements that have been made in the economic reform program and means of supporting the social dimension of the program in the coming phase.

She said the economic program aims at achieving three main objectives; firstly, a rise in the economic growth rates, Gross Domestic Production (GDP) through providing job opportunities and supporting micro, small- and medium-scale projects; secondly, reducing poverty rates and thirdly protecting the most needy social categories from impact of economic measures. 

He made it clear that a project such as the social safety network or better known as "Takaful and Karama" is targeting 1.7 million families in Upper Egypt who will benefit from the school meal program, extending of gas pipelines as well as other programs to achieve sustainable development.

The minister also highlighted the importance of Egypt's development partners in supporting the social dimension of the government economic reform program, especially the education sector which has been given a priority by President Abdel Fattah El Sisi. She said the president has called on all development partners to cooperate with the Egypt government in supporting projects that aim at improving the living standards of Egyptians.