CAIRO – After nearly 50 years of excluding Upper Egypt of development, Sohag, one of the long-forgotten Governorates, witnessed on Thursday the inauguration of several national projects in different sectors including health, education, roads and transportation.
During his visit to Sohag, Thursday, Sisi inaugurated a university, hospital, highway and industrial complex, along with other public investments worth LE102 billion have been injected since 2014.
The opening ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli, Housing Minister Assem el-Gazzar and a number of ministers, as well as senior State officials.
Sisi asserted that Egypt is pressing ahead down the road toward upgrading Upper Egypt and exerting strenuous efforts, with a view to achieving development and stability and providing a decent life for citizens in all the southern parts of the country.
In his speech during the opening ceremony of a number of development projects in Sohag Governorate, President Sisi said he was extremely proud of all progress accomplished on the ground in Upper Egypt, especially that all the realized achievements were made by Egyptian hands.
The president said he was happy that Sohag Governorate – the heart of Upper Egypt – was the first place for him to visit during his field tours at the onset of the New Year 2030.
President Sisi also praised the Upper Egyptian citizens who are well known for their great magnanimity, kindness, generosity and high sense of dignity and pride.
President Sisi also underscored the importance of economic reform measures and social security programs Egypt has embarked upon and which contributed to the resilience of the Egyptian economy in facing up to all international challenges and reducing the impact of global inflation.
Sisi also shed light on the State’s role in support of the private sector, along with efforts to lure more investments, strengthen local industries, support exports and reduce the balance of payments deficit.
At the end of his speech, President Sisi reiterated commitment to overcoming all difficulties and meeting people’s aspirations for building a brighter future.
Sisi pointed out to his directives to all State bodies to place the development of all areas in Upper Egypt as a top priority and realize a significant development leap that would have a positive impact on the citizens’ lives, especially as regards services offered to them mainly in the health, education and infrastructure domains.
All efforts run in tandem with the implementation of national development projects nationwide, with a view to promoting the development process, the president noted.
Meantime, Sisi referred to the far-reaching consequences of the Russian-Ukrainian war, as well as the untoward impact of the coronavirus pandemic that took its toll on world economies
President Abdel Fattah El Sisi said that Egypt needs some 70 trillion pounds to be able to implement projects hoped to achieve its development.
Speaking during a ceremony to inaugurate a number of development ventures in the city of Sohag, Sisi told the gathering that Upper Egypt has never been marginalized or forgotten, underlining attempts to solve problems in an unorthodox way.
Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouli reviewed just a part of what had been accomplished outside the “Decent Life” initiative, Sisi made it clear. Excluding “Decent Life”, the cost could reach a total of seven trillion pounds, the president said, believing it is a very modest sum given the dream Egypt is seeking to fulfill.
“This is our current reality, because the state is not and has not been capable,” Sisi said, adding “with such unfavorable circumstances, the country could only dream, think and act.
Sisi put the total value of development achieved in Sohag so far at 102 billion pounds. He wondered about what upgrading the rest of the governorates would cost.
All that is being achieved now is an attempt to narrow the gap and reach normal rates of the development process, the president said.
He underscored the need to establish 60,000 classrooms annually to accommodate the growing population, noting that this would cost some 69 billion pounds.
Addressing a group of youth attending the ceremony, Sisi said: “your ideas and dreams could be the reason for changing the situation in the country.”
The president also talked about financial support for projects of youth, adding that each of those ventures could cost between one and three million pounds to guarantee success.
He told the gathering that he follows up comments made on social networking sites that criticize road projects, stressing the importance of having an efficient road network to facilitate movement between governorates
Sisi, once again, stressed that Egypt’s problem is not about government and administrative corruption or about marginalization, but rather about overpopulation.
“I know quite well the value of money … but we must understand that the ever-growing population will make every exerted effort not good enough.”
Sisi directed to provide financial support needed to implement new ventures of the youth from the “Long Live Egypt” fund.
President Abdel Fattah El Sisi has affirmed the necessity of establishing industrial and residential complexes in non-agricultural areas in order to meet the needs of citizens in this regard.
Sisi made the remarks as he opened on Thursday a number of development project in the Upper Egyptian governorate of Sohag.
The aim of establishing industrial complexes is to provide more job opportunities for citizens, the president said.
Speaking to the owners of industrial projects and factories located in western Girga city, Sisi urged for building more factories to benefit citizens and meet their needs instead of resorting to importing.
The president also called for supporting those factories either through providing them with expertise or training their workers in order to maintain the good quality of products and ensure that they become competitive and meet the relevant international standards.
What happened during the past 8 years?
During the past eight years, up to 415 national projects have been implemented at Sohag Governorate at different sectors including education, Housing and construction, Agriculture, industry, pourtly, Infrastructure and roads, tourism, health, roads and transportation, in addition to the projects that have been implemented as part of the Decent Life Initiative in the various cities of the governorate.
The new Sohag city is located on an area of 30,351.01 acres within the territory of Sohag Governorate, as it’s expected to contain a number of national projects within the framework of achieving targeted development and serving citizens in Upper Egypt.
At the education sector, many primary and languages, schools have been established in various villages in the governorate of Sohag, including; Sohag State Language School in Nagaa Matroud, Hamlaj Girga Technical School for Girls, the Adult Education Center in Al-Alsun Sohag, as well as the New Sohag University.
Also the agricultural sector is considered to be one of the important economic pillars for the people of Sohag, as high-quality seeds were provided to farmers for developing their crops.
A site on an area of 5 acres has been allocated in Al-Kawthar district for the establishment of a “sifting and seed production station” under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture, which is the first of its kind in Sohag, to contribute to the provision of various high-quality seeds to farmers.
Also, the Tahta Silo was established in Sohag Governorate, with a capacity of 60,000 tons, with the aim of preserving strategic stock of wheat at a cost of LE 5.56 million.
And within the goal of lining 123 canals with a length of 90 linear kilometers in Sohag Governorate, at a cost of approximately one billion, more than 21 canals with a length of 335 km, were lined.
Work is still under way for lining and rehabilitating the remaining stages of the project.
Egypt’s government have paid attention to the industrial sector in Upper Egypt during the past 8 years In Sohag.
At a cost of LE 858 million and on an area of 65 acres, the Small Industries Complex in West Gerga was established and fully equipped with all needed units.
A number of factories and production lines were established in the industrial zone in Al-Kawthar neighborhood in Sohag governorate, including Universal Factory for the manufacture of micro cartons and paper products, which provides 40 job opportunities for young people.
The new city of Sohag, has witnessed a development leap over the past few years in various fields.
The city was transformed from a poor desert into a residential city with integrated facilities which includes all basic and recreational services.
The new city is one of the third-generation cities of the New Urban Communities Authority, characterized by a strategic location as it is considered the western gate of Sohag Governorate.
The city is also considered at the heart of governorate, linking most of its roads.
Source: Egypt Today Magazine