He added that this year, Arab tourism and tourist nights have increased. This demands serious coordination to increase hotel capacity by establishing new hotels, whether east or west of the Nile.
Ahram Online: First, what are the most important recently inaugurated projects?
Ismail Kamal: All sewage stations that have been completed in villages and hamlets will be inaugurated and operated experimentally according to the prime minister's directives. According to a timetable prepared by the Water and Sewerage Company, these stations have been equipped, and their suitability for operation has been confirmed. Twenty youth centres will also be opened ready for operation, playgrounds will be furnished with tartan, and furniture will be provided in the administrative building. These will be followed by natural gas projects, communications, water networks, paving roads at village entrances, and planting trees within the framework of preserving the environment.
AO: What are the most prominent features of the governorate investment plans?
IK: We have all the economic components of mineral and quarry wealth, multiple energy sources, and a strong infrastructure. Within the framework of the state's orientation to localize the natural industries that the governorate abounds in, efforts have been intensified in coordination with all ministries and bodies concerned with investment to establish the largest logistics area in the Karkur area on an area of 600 acres, including a food industries complex with an area of 40 acres and an international parking lot for trucks transporting exports to Sudan and African markets on an area of 168 acres. Moreover, we have established a village for goods and commercial, banking, and tourism services within the framework of a future vision for Aswan to become a gateway for trade and economy towards African markets.
This coincides with the establishment of the free zone in New Aswan City, indicating that the first phase of the industrial zone in Nasr Al-Nuba in the villages of Al-Genina and Al-Shabak is being completed and operated with investments of 770 million pounds and includes 308 units and various industrial workshops. It spans 17.5 acres out of 56 acres allocated for activities, such as textiles, ready-made garments, and building materials. These opportunities have been offered. The contracts and operating licenses were delivered to the beneficiaries at an investors' conference in Cairo.
The prime minister is interested in attracting more investments and creating an attractive investment climate to enhance the economic atmosphere and achieve high-quality added value. Therefore, 200 acres were allocated in New Aswan City to establish an integrated industrial zone as a first phase, equivalent to 840 thousand metres, to achieve a new dream in light of the many advantages enjoyed by the region. The city is near the free zone, the logistics zone in Karkar, Aswan International Airport, and the land ports in Qastal and Arqin on the Sudanese border and the Berenice seaport on the Red Sea. In addition, it is linked to the Alexandria-Cape Town international axis and the high-speed train track, with a diversity of solar energy sources in the Faris Abydos 1 area of 500 megawatts capacity. This comes within the governorate's strategic plan 2030 in cooperation with the Ministry of Local Development.
AO: The governorate is witnessing a flourishing tourism sector. What are the measures to develop this sector?
IK: The diversity of tourism patterns in the governorate makes us work on doubling the percentage of tourists and promoting tourism by finding innovative ideas to exploit the tourism prospects for the governorate. There is the Nile and archaeological, therapeutic, cultural, and recreational tourism, as well as hunting and bird-watching tourism. He pointed out two important events: the sun's alignment on the 22 February and October of each year in Abu Simbel city and the 12th International Festival of Culture and Arts and the closing of the Aswan International Symposium. This year, there is an increase in Arab tourism and tourist nights, which makes us coordinate seriously to increase hotel capacity by establishing new hotels, whether east or west of the Nile.
AO: When will the comprehensive health insurance will be applied in Aswan?
IK: Within the framework of the president's directives, Aswan was included in the first phase of the new health insurance system, which includes five governorates. From the first moment, meetings were held with health care officials and the Accreditation and Supervision Authority to expedite the preparation of hospitals and health units in the neediest villages, especially the villages under Hayah Karima (Decent Life) initiative, to complete the life system and the inclusion of 11 hospitals and the transfer and affiliation of 87 medical centres and health units out of a total of 112 medical centres.
According to the prime minister's decision, the affiliation of eight central hospitals was transferred to comprehensive insurance, including Nasr Al-Nuba and Al-Sabaa Hospitals, while continuing to provide health and treatment services with high quality according to an organized mechanism.
AO: Amid rising prices, how can market control be addressed, especially with Ramadan just around the corner?
IK: To address this issue, a series of permanent exhibitions and a one-day market were opened in the cities of Kom Ombo, Edfu, Daraw and Aswan under the prime minister's directives to limit monopoly, control markets, combat inflation, and ease the burden on the shoulders of the citizens by providing goods at reduced prices.
As part of preparations for the month of Ramadan, coordination was made with the Ministry of Supply to support consumer complexes and form joint committees from all concerned parties to tighten control over markets and take the necessary measures for non-compliant owners of commercial activities, bakeries, vegetable vendors, and butchers to control the circulation of goods.
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