Egypt's interim govt, businessmen revive Upper Egypt development plans

Egypt’s private sector launched an initiative last week to cooperate with the government in developing needy Upper Egypt governorates in a conference which saw the participation of businessmen and state ministers.

Development in Upper Egypt is achievable only through public-private partnership, said Mohamed Farid, head of the Federation of Egypt Investors.

In praise of the initiative, Ashraf El-Araby, minister of planning, welcomed private sector contributions while emphasising that development in Upper Egypt is a mission the government cannot embark on alone.

"We, the same working teams who worked together before the revolution, are preparing a development plan for 2015-2030," added El-Araby.

"The right path for developing Upper Egypt is that which was paved by Mahmoud Mohie Eddin (Egypt's former minister of investment who served under deposed president Hosni Mubarak)," said Sohag governor Mahmoud Othman.

Within that framework state ministers proposed building public housing and developing infrastructure, as well as training labour for private sector requirements.