Planning minister says 211,000 youth benefit from SME loans in H1 2018-19

CAIRO - 14 March 2019: About LE 2.646 billion have been allocated for small and medium-sized projects, according to sustainable development indicators of the first half of FY 2018-2019.

Planning Minister Hala el Saeid said 211,000 youth benefited from loans that helped them implement their projects.

Youth are a top priority, the minister reiterated, stressing they are a key factor that helps achieve sustainable development goals.

Egypt is a young country, with the 15-to-40 age group making up 41 percent of the population, Saeid made it clear.

She said her Ministry is keen on involving the youth in upgrading the planning system.

Indeed the youth played a pivotal role in outlining Egypt's 2030 vision, said a proud Saeid.

A report by the Planning Ministry stated that 39,000 jobs were secured through the national employment bulletin, and 181,000 youth got jobs through employment offices.

Also, 16,000 direct and indirect jobs have been created in infrastructure projects.

The report also said that loans and grants worth about 1.881 billion dollars were allocated for development projects in the country.