CAIRO, July 11, 2018 - Trade and Industry Minister Amr Nassar discussed with a delegation of the World Bank on Wednesday the projects carried out by the bank in Egypt and the development of industrial zones in Upper Egypt. The talks tackled future co-operation between the bank and the government on measures to improve the business climate, boost the competitiveness of the Egyptian economy and small and medium-sized projects. Nassar said that the 500-million-dollar Upper Egypt Development Programme, which is carried out by the bank, includes rehabilitating the infrastructure of six industrial zones in Qena and Sohag. The programme also aims at developing investment services in these zones and pinpointing the priorities for investment in each governorate according to its needs, he said. He also underlined the importance of fostering co-operation between the bank and the ministry over increasing cross-border trade. Facilitating import and export licensing procedures and improving transport were important in this respect. The Holding Company for Drinking Water and Sanitation has started a pilot project for sanitary drainage in several villages in Sohag governorate. It is financed by the World Bank, said company CEO Mamdouh Raslan. The project is aimed at serving the villages of Samta, Halafy and Gheimya, he added. The World Bank is contributing LE 313 million to the projects, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Housing on Wednesday.
