Dr. Manal Awad, Minister of Local Development, and Eng. Sherif El Sherbini, Minister of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities, co-chaired a high-level meeting of the Supreme Committee for Public Shop Licensing on Tuesday at the Local Development Ministry’s headquarter in the New Capital, Invest-Gate reports.

The session included senior representatives from key ministries such as Communications, Industry, Planning, the Housing and Building National Research Center, and the Ministry of Interior.

The meeting was held in response to directives from the Prime Minister, tasking both ministries with developing a comprehensive strategy to simplify licensing procedures for industrial and commercial activities in line with national efforts to support investment and formalize the economy.

Discussions focused on technical standards for public shop licenses, including specifications for locally manufactured surveillance systems, traffic impact studies, and civil protection requirements based on Egypt’s fire safety code. The committee also explored the creation of a unified fee structure for civil protection licenses across governorates and discussed mechanisms for financing civil protection needs through local investment plans.

Dr. Awad emphasized the importance of encouraging businesses to legalize their operations by easing licensing requirements and reducing costs. She called on all relevant entities to establish clear, activity-specific guidelines to help businesses meet technical and legal standards efficiently and support the integration of informal enterprises into the formal economy.