The Minister of Communications and Information Technology Atef Helmy met with Eitesal association integrated solutions team members to discuss the future of major projects to be executed through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) system.
The meeting was held in the presence of the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) CEO Hussein El-Geretly, and Eitesal association chairman Hazem El-Tahawy.
Commencing the meeting, Helmy said that he took responsibility of public action at this stage out of his belief in the sector’s capability to achieve economic development.
Regarding the sector’s achievements last year, he explained that MCIT managed to allocate 120 million EGP during the first half of 2013 for encouraging small companies and boosting training ones, as well as some government projects.
During 2013, solutions were provided to 16 companies having suspended issues with government agencies and bodies while other issues are being solved with other ten companies. Moreover, a 123-million-EGP projects were launched.
Obstacles were overcome, and major PPP projects could now be launched, he said. The supreme committee for partnership between government and the private sector is to convene before the end of March.
By June 30, the first model project - the registration offices - would be launched with a budget of 650 million EGP of which more than 80 companies nationwide are expected to benefit of it. In 2014, the corporeal real estate registration project, currently being prepared, will launch, he has added.
Helmy stressed on the importance of coordination between the government, companies and funding institutes including Bank Misr and the National Bank of Egypt (NBE) to guarantee an easy and fast implementation of the project. He also highlighted the significance of integrating small and medium companies (SMEs) in the implementation process and the necessity of balancing contracts for the benefit of all.
The ICT Minister has suggested that Eitesal association conducts a study on the possibility of establishing a marketing and business development company, clarifying identity whether a quasi-governmental, a partnership between the private sector, quasi-governmental entities and banks. This is in addition to identifying guidelines in marketing products and services of Egyptian companies as well as marketing technology parks.
Eitesal coordinates with global technology companies for the importance of their role in these projects.
In line with the value of partnering with the civil society to study large projects before launching, Eitesal is to set a short-term plan till June 30 to outline projects’ requirements of human calibers and mechanisms of implementation with SMEs. This is in addition to a long-term plan of three years to promote major projects in the African countries in coordination with the Chamber of Information Technology and Computing Division.
