Egypt to offer all state services electronically by 2019: Min.

CAIRO – 29 April 2018: Minister of Communications Yasser el-Kady said that the state will offer all services electronically by 2019, saying that his ministry is working with all entities and ministries to ensure the completion of the process.

Addressing a conference on technology in Cairo, Kady said that the ministry has started the development process of state institutions and investing in the 4G services, in light of the state’s plan to transform into a digital economy.

Kady said that the digital transformation process will include the education and health sectors, which will see a big development with the imminent implementation of the smart cards system.

The minister added that Egypt is the first country in the Middle East and Africa to have a strategy for digital transformation and electronic commerce that receives support on the global level.

In March, Prime Minister Sherif Ismail witnessed the signing of a cooperation protocol between the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Communications, to automate the comprehensive health insurance system in Egypt.

Under the protocol, the Ministry of Communication will provide citizens with unified smart cards that include the necessary information required for health insurance system, such as medical records.

President Abdel-Fatah al-Sisi has repeatedly stressed of the importance of transforming into a digital economy.

Egypt’s digital transformation strategy includes investing in 4G services, building smart cities and modernizing the telecom infrastructure, among other projects.

Egypt has also been promoting the financial inclusion of citizens and enhancing the involvement of the banking sector in business transactions.

The Ministry of Finance started implementing the Government Fiscal Management Information System (GFMIS) last year, with the aim of increasing dependency on electronic systems in payments and the collection of state revenues and expenditures.

State institutions have halted the use of all paper checks beginning November 2017.