PM: Economic reform, national projects achieve qualitative leap for citizen

Prime Minister Sherif Ismail said Thursday Egypt’s steady and successful progress on economic reforms and launch of national projects will achieve a qualitative leap for citizens.

President Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s has

tapped all difficult files and is constantly following up the ongoing national projects, he said.

The current achievements, which will change the quality of life for the citizen, would not have been possible without the support of the political leadership and the understanding of the Egyptian people, Sherif said at a press conference.

He praised the efforts of the Armed Forces and the Police in North and central Sinai and elsewhere in the country in their all-out war against terror.

Egypt has a long and successful history in wiping out terror, he said.

He expected the phenomenon of terror to be wiped out totally.

Egypt has been suffering economically “but now we are taking good steps towards economic reform. The GDP grew to 5.2 percent during the first half of 2017-18. It is a good growth rate but we need to increase it,” he said.

The budget deficit has dropped from 10.9 percent to 9.5 percent and the unemployment rate has dropped from over 12.5 percent to a current 11.3 percent, he added.

The prime minister also cited the development of electricity networks, ports, roads and social housing projects and the elimination of shanty towns.

The Zohr natural gas field will reach full capacity production by the end of the year, he said.

Other achievements involve the fish farms in Ghalioun and the Suez Canal, greenhouses and expansion in agricultural projects, he said.

The current launching of eight new urban communities in Alamein, Ismailia, Mansoura, Assiut, Minya and in Upper Egypt, will improve the lives of citizens, he added.

Egypt will achieve gas self sufficiency by the end of this year, he added.(MENA)