Egypt’s Premier follows up on outcomes of National Dialogue sessions

CAIRO - 28 March 2024: Egyptian Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouli met with the joint committee tasked with implementing the outcomes and recommendations of the National Dialogue, Extra News reported on Thursday.

The meeting was attended by Diaa Rashwan, General Coordinator of the National Dialogue, and Judge Mahmoud Fawzi, Head of the Technical Secretariat of the National Dialogue, along with other members of the Coordination Committee.

This marks the second meeting held with officials of the National Dialogue to monitor the progress of implementing recommendations and outcomes from the National Dialogue. The initial meeting occurred prior to the commencement of the second phase.

Rashwan provided a comprehensive overview of the mechanisms established to track the 135 recommendations from the first phase. Additionally, he elaborated on developments within the economic sphere during the sessions of the second phase.

Rashwan announced that a final set of recommendations from the second phase is currently being formulated for submission to President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

Earlier, Madbouli reviewed the second follow-up report on the executive plan for implementing the measures proposed by the Egyptian National Dialogue, up until mid-March.

Madbouli stated that the National Dialogue is of great importance for President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, who has instructed the government to promptly translate the recommendations of the dialogue into actionable plans aimed at advancing goals across various sectors.

A joint coordination group has been established, comprising representatives from both the Cabinet and the National Dialogue, and was tasked with overseeing the recommendations implementation across various sectors.

In relation to the objective of enhancing the role of local popular councils, it was highlighted that the Ministry of Parliamentary Council Affairs is currently coordinating with the House of Representatives to finalize the draft law on local popular councils. Additionally, efforts are being made to develop suitable training programs aimed at improving the skills of personnel within these councils.

As an example, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology has developed an executive plan aimed at training young cadres and workers within local councils through a variety of training programs. These programs include "Preparing for Digital Transformation," "Digital Transformation and Technological Creativity," "Digital Governance," "Technological Behavior," "Basic and Advanced Digital Skills," and "Sustainable Digital Project Management." 

The ministry has undertaken initiatives to enhance and cultivate digital competencies among the leaders and personnel across the country, encompassing a workforce of 26,000 individuals. Technical assistance has been extended to establish information systems and digital transformation departments within these regions. 

Furthermore, training has been completed for 2,060 employees engaged in these departments in various governorates, and a memorandum of understanding has been signed with Huawei to establish 20 ICT academies within the governorates, to foster and advance the emerging digital and technological skills of both workers and citizens. The initiative is set to commence in the North Sinai Governorate.