Eng. Sherif El Sherbini, Minister of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities, held an extended meeting with the deputies and assistants of the New Urban Communities Authority (NUCA) and the heads of the new cities’ authorities to follow up on the progress of work at NUCA and its agencies, Invest-Gate reports.

He emphasized the importance of this periodic meeting to enhance work rates and facilitate the exchange of experiences and expertise among the new cities’ authorities.

El Sherbini noted that the meeting addresses several topics and provides an opportunity to unify thoughts and goals while reviewing all project details and discussing future visions.

The Minister stressed the need to execute projects in line with the directives of Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to localize industry, highlighting that many entities manufacture essential urban project needs domestically. He directed that local product be prioritized in various projects, while maximizing resources and revenues to boost work rates.

Additionally, El Sherbini urged city authority heads to promptly report any issues to prevent escalation and to ensure any wrong situations are corrected swiftly. He indicated that standards would be established to evaluate all authorities’ heads, assistants, and deputies, along with a plan to train and qualify all employees.

During the meeting, El Sherbini instructed the authorities heads to establish a sub-governance department within each authority. Employees in this department will be selected based on their ability to accomplish assigned tasks, implement serious measures, and develop a digital transformation plan for each authority’s interactions with citizens. He also mandated that officials from each authority be present on-site to oversee all projects.

The Minister requested that authorities’ heads identify their needs to facilitate support, in addition to closely monitoring ongoing work to swiftly remove obstacles and enhance work rates. He emphasized the importance of periodic follow-ups and evaluations of all companies involved in projects, addressing any negligent or uncooperative firms, while also prioritizing ongoing road maintenance, lighting work, and the development of key thoroughfares in each city.

El Sherbini indicated that this phase aims to launch several projects and initiatives, including the “Your Home in Egypt” initiative for Egyptians abroad. He stressed the importance of fulfilling the initiative’s units within the specified timeframe and maintaining high-quality standards. He also highlighted the continuation of meeting the needs of all applicants from Egyptians abroad for the “Beit Al Watan” project.

The meeting discussed new housing projects, including the status of 100,000 housing units under the presidential initiative “Housing for All Egyptians.” The Minister underscored the urgency of implementing these units while also working on new projects in the forthcoming period.