Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi greeted by residents of Salloum during his inspection tour to Matrouh governorate on Wednesday
"The state is trying with all its might to overcome the current hardships," President El-Sisi stressed as he spoke at length about the financial issues facing citizens amid inflation.
"We do all we can to decrease the impact of inflation on the Egyptian people,” the president continued.
Additionally, he stressed that all relevant state bodies will provide all the help needed by citizens.
The president reiterated that Egypt was exposed to two back-to-back crises triggered by the coronavirus and the Russian-Ukrainian war.
“We face a crisis but it is just a challenge like all challenges,” he asserted.
“The state is frank with the people about the challenges we face and has been keen over the past ten years to protect the citizens’ interests,” he continued.
"The state is doing its best to minimize the effects of the economic crisis on citizens," he added.
Developing Matrouh
President El-Sisi affirmed that the ongoing state projects in Matrouh have had a significant impact on development in the region.
He asserted that the state has put great effort into improving the living conditions of Matrouh’s residents, stating that "everything we do here has a positive impact on the governorate and its people."
It is just the first step in what the government intends to do in the governorate, he asserted.
The state has a plan to provide water to all coastal areas and dig wells in non-coastal areas, El-Sisi stressed.
The president noted, however, the difficulty in providing water for small residential areas in the governorate compared to bigger cities such as Al-Alamein, Ras Al-Hikma, Marsa Matrouh, and Salloum.
He further indicated that the water problems that Matrouh suffered seven years ago have been addressed.
The state has built desalination plants, said the president, noting that one such plant in Al-Alamein produces 150,000 cubic metres of water for coastal cities.
"The state will not miss any opportunity to procure enough water for citizens," he stressed.
"We will work to ensure that the volume of available water will have a [positive] impact on agriculture."
Siwa
El-Sisi called on citizens to preserve the gains of the megaproject in Siwa Oasis aimed at resolving its agricultural wastewater issue as well as in the entirety of the Western Desert.
Siwa has a good amount of groundwater under it, he noted, stressing that the provision of water for agriculture must be addressed with a scientific approach.
"I am giving you six months to treat the lands that have been harmed and salted and the palm trees that have been destroyed," referring to the adverse effects that befell the region due to neglect.
Furthermore, the president cautioned that the positive impact of the projects that have been established may not be felt overnight.
However, he stressed, there is great potential for growth in the western region, especially with the inauguration of the New Delta project in the coming months.
The government is currently constructing a 174-kilometre-long artificial river in the Western Desert aimed at irrigating the country's New Delta
Additionally, the president noted that there is a large programme for the development of Sinai.
El-Sisi also spoke of the planned express train that will link the Sokhna on the Red Sea to the Mediterranean coast – passing through Alexandria all the way to the Salloum crossing on the Egypt-Libya border – affirming that it will be a strong tool for urbanization and economic development.
There will be a large volume of trade moving along that new path, he added.
Earlier in the day, the president inspected the joint security point of the Armed Forces and the police at the Salloum crossing on the Libyan border.
Short link: