EU, French Development Agency delegation tours urban development projects in Giza

A high-ranking delegation from the European Union Commission and the French Development Agency (FDA) inspected on Thursday projects being implemented under the urban development program.

The Egyptian Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (MSMEDA) is in charge of accomplishing these projects.

The 15-million-euro projects, which are being implemented by Egypt’s Medium, Small and Micro Enterprises Development Agency since 2017, are funded by the EU and the AFD.

In a statement on Thursday, the MSMEDA said the delegation inspected a water storage tank project of Ard el Lewa district in Giza whose cost stood at about LE 24 million.

The tank – whose capacity will be 6,000 cubic meters – will secure potable water for about 35,000 households.

The MSMEDA has been engaged in implementing projects under the urban development program since 2017 at a 15 million euro grant from the FDA, the head of the MSMEDA central sector for social and human development said.

Medhat Massoud said several other water and sewage projects will be implemented in Ard el Lewa under the program at a total of about EGP 86 million.

The project costs EGP 24 million, the statement added.

Two projects are being carried out at the same district: one for replacing and renewing the water and sewage network at a cost of EGP 61 million; the other for delivering water from the under-construction reservoir to the water networks at a cost of EGP 25 million.

The projects aim to develop the infrastructure in the neediest areas through hiring semi-skilled and unskilled workers instead of using modern machinery and equipment, said Executive Vice President of the MSMEs Development Agency Tariq Shash.

Shash added the projects target providing both thousands of work opportunities for irregular workers and a proper environment to establish small and micro enterprises.