H.E Dr. Magued Osman, minister of communications and information technology, met with the ICT companies’ principals of the board members of EITISAL Association. Hurdles facing ICT success have been a main concern in this meeting, especially those facing software companies of EITISAL Association during the previous phase.
In order for these firms to overcome the current economic slowdown, some suggestions and measurements will be set into action. In addition to this, this meeting witnessed a review of both the projects carried by EITISAL during the last phase and the intended plans that are prepared to present the required support to these companies to overtake the current crisis.
EITISAL’s future plans have been prepared to maintain ICT companies move and expand their activities in both national and regional markets. These intended plans are tackled according to a new trend to implement such projects relying on an integrated system.
This future vision will contribute to have ICT companies developing their local markets as a vital alternative to foreign partnerships.
Mr. Yasser El Kady, the CEO OF ITIDA, and Mr. Tarek El Hemaly, EITISAL head, attended this event.
H.E Dr. Magued Osman, minister of communications and information technology, stated that this meeting represents a fruitful and real chance to specify the most prominent obstacles facing ICT companies and to investigate how to enable such entities get rid of these impediments.
Dr. Magued added also that the ministry supports any new idea that could have ICT companies move towards the future, confirming in this regard that, the ministry does its best to provide promising cooperation opportunities between the Egyptian companies and their foreign counterparts.
These efforts are the outcome of the ministry serious interest of boosting polices of expansions and investments to overtake the current ICT sector economic downturn.
Moreover, Dr.Magued announced launching the Export IT next phase, in which ITIDA helps and supports the ICT Companies to increase their abroad exports. As a result, this represents an added value due to providing foreign currency that Egypt needs in this phase.
Mr. Yasser El Kady, ITIDA CEO, declared that an agreement has been reached with EITISAL to hold a joint meeting entitled” one hand is our future” next June. Seeking close relationships and cooperation, all ICT companies working in Egypt are likely to attend. The new relations are supposed to provide more job opportunities and partnerships as an integration alternative, instead of their former reliance on foreign partnerships.
Mr. Yasser added that we study now opening representative office in Uganda to serve ICT companies so as to be in charge of investigating the most important requirements of the market there.
Consequently, these requirements’ list is specified and included in proposed studies to fulfill those needs through the Egyptian companies.
Mr. Yasser also suggested to begin implementing this idea in the South of Sudan and Uganda considering this as a start towards African Markets, the nearest to Egypt.
This comes within the context of boosting the cooperation scopes with the neighboring countries of Africa in this field.
In this concern, Dr. Magued called the ICT companies of EITISAL for the importance of promoting cooperation with the commercial representative offices abroad, and also stressed on the necessity of organizing and providing these offices with some training sessions. These sessions aim to get them aware of the potentials of the Egyptian ICT sector.
Upon this, possible cooperation scopes, that would benefit the Egyptian ICT companies, will be clearly indicated and acquainted.
This is to be done similarly as The Centre for Documentation of Cultural and Natural Heritage of The Bibliotheca Alexandrina, which receives a technical support from MCIT, undertakes implementing a similar specialized Centre for Documentation in Congo as per the Center in Egypt. The same idea goes with the Egyptian Home Project that is being implemented in Uganda.
Dr. Magued advised to organize awareness programs indicating the most outstanding ICT sector inputs and outputs in order to make use of them in fulfilling the required promotion for Egypt in this field. This goes in the context of increasing software exports and ICT services via outsourcing system.
Mr. Tarek El Hamely stated that’’ we are so happy to meet Dr. Magued and to have his positive response to investigate the challenges that face the ICT companies of EITISAL. Mr. EL Hamely said that the meeting discussions included all concerns and activities of our entity, which has about 280 ICT and Software companies as members of the association.
He pointed out the main activities of EITISAL as supporting the Association members, sustaining the international marketing for the association activities in the foreign markets, particularly in the African ones. EITISAL’s concerns also include focusing on the first-motion initiative principle, innovation, and encouraging young businessmen.
This aims at having their creative visions and ideas turned into technological products and solutions that could provide great benefits to the export process and technology industry in general.
On the other hand, EITISAL is also interested in getting its members aware of the new technological scopes of ICT industry. Within its efforts in protecting the members interests, EITISAL always participates with governmental entities in the process of issuing laws and discuss the suggested related technological trends and polices.
The minister declared that EITISAL members are requested necessarily to present a comprehensive plan for works and activities for the coming phase. Upon this plan, there will be a clear list of the most important works and opportunities that could be exploited to show an active response to the market requirements. This required activities map should be based on a previously prepared study to help all ICT sectors.
ICT companies of EITISAL are also required to coordinate with the other similar associations in the sector and to call for effecting integration to get huge entities that could be able to face all the challenges. These all efforts aim at maximizing all the available potentials.
ICT companies' leaders of EITISAL association have provided Dr. Magued with a particular suggestion to create a program aiming at increasing the recruitment process among the fresh graduates in EITISAL companies. They added that MCIT is to support and boost implementing this trend.
This, as a result, will have a great impact on increasing new job opportunities to the extent that they exceed the number of one thousand graduates working in ICT sector.
Due to its predicted positive outcome on all the related parties, Dr. Magued has valued this suggestion and asked EITISAL to prepare an entire worksheet in order to implement.
