President directs government to participate in National Dialogue: Premier

CAIRO - 25 February 2024: President Abdel Fattah El Sisi has directed the government to actively participate in the second phase of the Egyptian National Dialogue sessions, focused on addressing economic issues. This announcement was made by Egyptian Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly on Sunday.

Madbouly convened with members of the Board of Trustees of the National Dialogue on Sunday evening. The meeting was attended by Diaa Rashwan, the General Coordinator of the National Dialogue; Ahmed Galal, Rapporteur of the Economic Axis; Judge Mahmoud Fawzi, Head of the Technical Secretariat of the National Dialogue; and several other members of the Board of Trustees.

The Prime Minister emphasized that steps have been taken to implement the recommendations and outcomes from the first phase of the national dialogue sessions. He proposed the establishment of a joint coordination group comprising government officials and National Dialogue members to oversee the implementation of these recommendations and outcomes.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister elaborated on the current economic challenges and outlined the government's efforts to address them.

The Egyptian National Dialogue sessions on the economic axis will kick off on Monday at the National Training Academy (NTA), member of the dialogue council Gamal El Keshkey announced on Saturday.

In comments to Youm7, Keshkey added that the sessions will be attended by representatives from the government and economists.

The sessions will last for four days starting from Monday to Thursday this week, he said, noting that the economic situations that touch the citizens come at the top of the discussions.

The recommendations will focus on issues associated with the state’s budget, inflation, social justice, and investments.

On February 11, 2024, the Board of Trustees of the Egyptian National Dialogue, headed by General Coordinator Dr. Dhia Rashwan, received the executive plan submitted by the government regarding the recommendations of the first phase of the dialogue sessions.

The plan includes the proposed executive procedures, the proposed time frame for implementation, performance monitoring indicators for implementation, and the initial assessment of the feasibility of implementation procedures.

President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi had announced launching a national dialogue on the country’s economic status saying that there was a need for a “thorough national dialogue” on the Egyptian economy.

Egypt is facing harsh conditions on its Western, Eastern, and Southern borders, President Sisi affirmed saying, “I understand the amount of economic pressure on Egyptians, the tough circumstances, and price hikes. Yet, I trust the resilience of the Egyptian people in the face of crises that impact our lives and economy.”