Egypt's Minister of Communications and Information Technology Amr Talaat has outlined the ministry's legislative agenda and ongoing efforts to build a digital Egypt, emphasising the sector's transformation from service-oriented to a service-production model. Talaat met with members of the Communications and Information Technology Committee of the Egyptian Parliament, chaired by Ahmed Badawy, to discuss the ministry's strategic vision. The meeting also included several ministry leaders and affiliated bodies. During the meeting, Talaat noted the sector's evolution from simply providing communication services to citizens to also focusing on increasing digital exports, creating jobs, and attracting investments. He highlighted the expansion into electronics manufacturing, particularly the production of mobile phones and fibre optic cables, aiming to reduce imports and boost exports. "The sector is now a service-production sector," Talaat said. "We are successfully attracting major global mobile phone manufacturers to start production in Egypt." Talaat also detailed the ministry's legislative agenda for the coming period. Key laws include the Data Classification and Exchange Law, which will govern data exchange between state entities, and the National Property ID Law, which will assign a unique identification number to each property, eliminating street name duplications. The property ID law has been finalised and will soon be presented to the Communications and Information Technology Committee in Parliament. "The National Property ID Law will soon be presented to the Communications and Information Technology Committee in Parliament," Talaat said. He noted that the ministry is working with the Ministry of Finance to simplify tax procedures for freelancers, aiming to encourage more young people to enter the freelance market. Talaat highlighted the importance of holding public discussions and dialogues with companies operating in the Egyptian communications and IT sector regarding these new laws. He added that the ministry plans to complete the construction of mobile towers in the villages included in phases two and three of the "Hayah Karima" initiative, as well as cover the country's highways with mobile networks, by the first quarter of next year. Talaat also highlighted efforts underway to improve telecommunications services, eliminate nuisance calls, and introduce regulatory frameworks to simplify switching between mobile networks while retaining the same number. Talaat further noted the increase in the number of post offices from 3,600 in 2018 to 4,850 today. The postal office development plan aims to expand and enhance the services offered by the Egyptian Postal Service and equip offices with the latest technological solutions. Ahmed Badawy, Chairperson of the Communications and Information Technology Committee in Parliament, praised the ongoing cooperation between the committee, the ministry, and its affiliated bodies. He commended the ministry's vision and its efforts to swiftly implement the government's program. Badawy also lauded the ministry's efforts in attracting investments to the communications and IT industry, especially in mobile phone manufacturing, and in expanding initiatives for building digital skills and applied technology schools.
