The Ministry of International Cooperation, in collaboration with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, launched on Monday a multi-stakeholder platform with the objective of supporting Egypt’s ICT sector through multinational institutions.

The platform launched under the title ‘Communications and Information Technology for Development’ in the presence of Egypt’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology Amr Talaat, UN Resident Coordinator in Egypt Elena Panova, and representatives from the African Development Bank (AfDB).

This comes as part of the regular multi-stakeholder platforms held by the Ministry of International Cooperation to present development efforts and reforms being implemented across various sectors, alongside the participation of multilateral and bilateral development partners, and relevant entities to create effective communication that will aid in accelerating the pace of development financing to implement Egypt’s 2030 Vision and the global sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Minister of International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat said that the ICT sector proved pivotal during the COVID-19 pandemic, as all countries around the world had to depend on technology to conduct their businesses and day-to-day activities.

“As 2020 witnessed the significant growth of this sector, the Ministry of International Cooperation held a multi-stakeholder platform to promote and present the structural reforms that have taken place in the ICT sector to development partners,” said Al-Mashat.

She added that Egypt’s government seeks to maximise the participation of the private sector in the development agenda, and to implement structural reforms that support such public-private cooperation.

She also noted that the inclusion of development partners in these meetings has given them the opportunity to get acquainted with the procedures, the reforms, and the development plans to map out effective future partnerships.

On his side, Talaat stated that ICT  is an essential component of development across various sectors, adding that the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology is keen on building bridges of cooperation with international institutions to establish constructive partnerships and maximise the use of technology in achieving development.

Talaat stressed that the ministry is cooperating with state entities and institutions to implement Egypt’s digital strategy, which revolves around adapting digital technologies to serve the needs of the people.

“Egypt is witnessing an unprecedented boom in digital transformation; with 75 digitised government services launched on the Digital Egypt platform. Many efforts have been made by the state in order to implement projects that support the move of the government to the New Administrative Capital, in preparation for the paperless government action plan,” Talaat explained.

“The ministry is also implementing an integrated strategy to create exceptional digital cadres; via establishing the School of Applied Technology jointly with the Ministry of Education, with the aim to build five more schools to prepare a generation of qualified employees in the ICT sector. The Egypt University of Informatics (EUI) will also be established in Knowledge City in the New Administrative Capital, along with the implementation of the Digital Egypt Builders’ Initiative (DEBI) that will grant a specialised professional master’s degree to 1,000 students annually.”

Talaat also stated that $1.6 billion worth of financing was secured to raise the efficiency of internet services in the past two years.

UN Resident Coordinator in Egypt Panova emphasised that ICT is one of the promising sectors that played a major role during the COVID-19 pandemic, and that major efforts have been made to develop it continuously.

During 2020, the Ministry of International Cooperation held a number of multi-stakeholder platforms that cover transportation, agriculture, and the public business sectors, which enabled it to secure development financing agreements worth $9.8 billion for various state and private sectors.