In a press conference on Thursday, a day after the premier and 30 ministers took the oath before President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, Madbouly outlined the government's key goals during the coming period.
The new formations include a ministerial group for industrial development headed by Minister of Industry and Transport Kamel El-Wazir, said Madbouly.
El-Wazir also serves as the Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development.
Moreover, he said Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar, the Deputy Prime Minister for Human Development and Minister of Health and Population, will head a ministerial group for human development.
"We will establish ministerial groups comprising several ministers, headed either by the Prime Minister or a relevant minister. The Deputy Prime Ministers will lead the first two groups I announced yesterday. These are the Ministerial Group for Industrial Development and the Ministerial Group for Human Development," Madbouy said.
Each group will include all relevant ministries and bodies, chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister, and they will meet weekly to resolve all issues and overlaps. The Prime Minister will meet with them every two weeks or monthly to present the group's decisions for approval within days of their submission, Madbouly noted.
Besides the existing ministerial economic group, the government will have ministerial groups for energy, especially renewable energy and hydrogen, and a ministerial group for entrepreneurship to empower youth, said Madbouly.
Why Abdel-Ghaffar and El-Wazir chosen as PM Deputies?
Madbouly stated that the most important aspect of the cabinet overhaul is the creation of the Deputy Prime Minister positions, which aligns with the new government structure philosophy.
Among the two most important portfolios is human development which focuses on building the individual through health and education.
Deputy Prime Minister for Human Development Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar was chosen for this portfolio for his extensive experience in both fields of health and education, Madbouly noted.
Abdel-Ghaffar was previously the Minister of Higher Education and continuously coordinated with the Ministry of Education and Technical Education.
Now, he is the Minister of Health and Population due to his expertise in managing this crucial portfolio, Madbouly added.
The premier said this role encompasses health, education, culture, youth and sports, and social solidarity.
“All these areas will be overseen by the Deputy Prime Minister for Human Development, who will monitor them regularly. I will, of course, support him, but he will handle the important tasks through daily follow-up,” Madbouly said.
Furthermore, Madbouly stated that the second portfolio, which is a matter of life or death for the Egyptian state, is industrial development. That is why Minister Kamel El-Wazir was assigned this portfolio.
"Some may question the reason for his assignment to two ministries simultaneously. The reason is that El-Wazir is considered a top administrative and executive talent. The significant progress made in the Ministry of Transport recently gives confidence that, with his appointment as Minister of Industry, he will be capable with the cabinet's support to fulfill this role,” Madbouly stressed.
Due to the ongoing projects and issues in the Ministry of Transport that require his continued oversight, El-Wazir has been assigned the responsibilities of both ministries and will lead the ministerial group for industrial development.
Key objectives determined
The government's key objectives, per President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi's directives, include political infrastructure development, political empowerment, and enhancing the National Dialogue, Madbouly said.
This can be achieved by increasing interaction between the government and the National Dialogue and implementing the dialogue’s outcomes and recommendations.
The government also aims to focus on human rights issues, support civil society, and protect national security in the face of a volatile external environment, he added.
Additionally, the government strongly focuses on developing the Egyptian individual, maintaining security and stability, and eradicating extremism and terrorism through security measures and moderate religious discourse targeting youth.
The cabinet will also continue economic reforms with a specific focus on maximizing foreign direct investment and increasing the role of the private sector while reducing the government's share of total state investments, he stated.
The premier emphasized the state’s endeavours to boost the private sector's contribution to overall public investments to more than 65 percent within the next three years.
The government will work on reducing inflation, regulating markets, boosting exports, and promoting growth in productive sectors, particularly industry.
The premier noted that the industry file is “a matter of life or death” for the Egyptian state and should witness significant progress.
He underlined the state’s goal to attract 30 million tourists annually.
The government will also work on developing its performance following President El-Sisi’s directives.
Thus, the president ordered expanding digitization, restructuring ministries, and minimizing overlaps between them in certain key areas, he explained.
He added that the government will work towards empowering women and youth and maintaining Egypt's significant role in foreign affairs.
In addition, Madbouly announced the initiation of a regular weekly press conference, which he and several ministers will attend, to address state and public concerns.
These press conferences will serve as a platform for responding to journalists' questions and citizens' issues.
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