Egypt's Finance Minister Mohamed Maait said on Saturday that the new draft budget for fiscal year 2021/2022 will be sent to President Abdel-Fatah El-Sisi next week to review ahead of sending it to the parliament.

Maait said that the new budget reflects the presidency’s directives to support general investments, especially the national projects that support rural areas in order to enhance the services provided to citizens and improve their livelihood.

The budget also comes under presidential orders to pay more attention to meeting developmental needs of Upper Egypt governorates within the state’s efforts to support sustainable and overall development nationwide, he added.

President El-Sisi’s main goal is to expand development nationwide, the minister noted, adding that the approximate cost of the implementation of the national project to develop Egyptian rural areas - within three years - reaches about EGP 600 billion.

Maait's statements came during his response to questions by journalists and members of parliament on the sidelines of inaugurating the ministry's headquarters in Upper Egypt's Qena governorate.