European Union Representative Joins Economic Discussions in National Dialogue

CAIRO - 5 September 2023: In an effort to address the ongoing economic challenges, Nicolas Saymes, the representative of the European Union, participated in the economic sessions of the National Dialogue on Tuesday.

These sessions were primarily focused on understanding the reasons behind the price hike and exploring strategies to alleviate its burden on citizens. This comes as part of the inflation and rising prices committee's ongoing discussions.

The inflation and price hike sessions, emanating from the economic axis of the National Dialogue, delved into the complexities of increasing prices and means to counteract them. Concurrently, the public debt committee is contemplating ways to reduce national debt while optimizing the benefits of both local and foreign borrowing.

Since its inception, the National Dialogue has witnessed significant progress. Over the past three months, more than 70 diverse topics crucial to Egyptian citizens have been discussed, spanning political, economic, and social realms.

This initiative has successfully engaged hundreds of thousands of participants from all walks of life, fostering community dialogues within various institutions, parties, and villages. This has further augmented the committee's endeavors, facilitating the release of many convicts in successive batches and enhancing the nation's ability to manage differences constructively.

The National Dialogue's Board of Trustees has reached consensus on the final recommendations, which are now submitted to the President. These encompass the primary three axes: political, economic, and social, distributed across 13 specialized committees. They are committed to continuing their review of recommendations for various issues through ongoing public and specialized discussion sessions.

From a political perspective, recommendations emerged from the localities committee on the issue of the People's Local Councils Act. Meanwhile, the political rights and parliamentary representation committee presented suggestions on the number of members for both Houses (Deputies and Senate), election system regulations, and the judicial oversight amid constitutional constraints. The human rights committee covered two major topics: combating discrimination and academic freedom alongside scientific research.

On the economic front, the National Dialogue agreed on several recommendations within the industry committee, including redeveloping and planning existing industrial areas, updating targeted activities, and reviewing export gaps. The agriculture and food security committee also settled on crucial recommendations concerning the state's role in providing production essentials, pricing, credit support, and addressing debts. Tourism-focused suggestions included expanding licensing, crafting a promotional tourism agenda, and innovating new tourism models.

The private investment committee emphasized the importance of user-friendly investment guides, expanding general and private free zones, and activating certain provisions of the investment law.

From a societal angle, the family and community cohesion committee advised on matters related to financial guardianship. The youth committee recommended initiatives to encourage entrepreneurship. In health, consensus was achieved on healthcare systems in Egypt, ranging from government-run, private, NGO-driven to comprehensive health insurance.

The Board of Trustees of the National Dialogue appreciates the President's immediate responsiveness in acknowledging the outcomes of the National Dialogue. These varied from legislative proposals to executive actions across political, economic, and societal dimensions. He directed relevant state entities to examine them and implement feasible solutions within the legal and constitutional frameworks.

The National Dialogue in Egypt aims to bring together various stakeholders to address pressing issues facing the nation. With representatives from different sectors, including international entities like the European Union, the dialogue has been a platform for brainstorming solutions, fostering unity, and facilitating constructive debates.