State keen on boosting local industry to face coronavirus impacts

CAIRO - 19 March 2020: Planning Minister Hala el Saeed stressed on Thursday that the government is keen on boosting local industry to meet citizens' needs as part of efforts to face coronavirus impacts.

The government will offer a package of assistance like the package of 30 billion pounds it offered during the 2008-2009 global crisis, the minister said in a statement by the ministry.

She said the government will boost the sectors that were badly hit by the current crisis to ease burdens on the companies and promote markets.

Within the coming period, the government will focus more on achieving self sufficiency, benefiting from weak movement of international trade amid coronavirus outbreak concerns.

The government will also offer some payment facilities to companies, she said.

The international community is now facing a global crisis that needs rallying all efforts and carrying out an immediate plan to face the economic repercussions of the crisis, the minister said.