Human development…the most prominent axes of the national narrative for economic and social development

With the start of government work in the new year, the state continues to intensify its efforts to establish a comprehensive development path that balances economic growth and improving the quality of life of citizens, based on a clear vision aimed at achievingsustainable development in its integrated concept.

In this context, the Council of Ministers, during its weekly press conference with the participation of Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, reviewed the features of the second version of the “National Narrative for Economic and Social Development,” which represents a governing framework for growth and employment policies, and reflects the state’s direction towards a more stable and competitive economic model, in which the citizen is the focus and goal of development efforts.

 Including the human development axis

Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, explained that one of the most important features of the second edition is the inclusion of the human development axis in light of the outcomes of the World Conference on Health, Population and Human Development, which represented the platform for community dialogue to talk about human development efforts in Egypt.

Confirming that the human development axis is at the forefront of the second version of the narrative in light of the great importance the state attaches to intensifying human development efforts, and emphasizing that the citizen is the goal and main driver of development efforts, pointing out that we aim, through the narrative, to achieve an economic shift that is reflected in the quality of life of the Egyptian citizen.

In the same context, Dr. Rania Al-Mashat stated that the narrative is the general framework for comprehensive sustainable development that achieves integration between Egypt’s Vision 2030 and the updated sectoral strategies, in light of the rapid changes imposed by regional and international developments, with the aim of shifting towards an economic model based on intensifying efforts in support of human development to improve the quality of life.

With a greater focus on the highest productive sectors and the most able to access export markets, benefiting from the advanced infrastructure that has been achieved, as well as redefining the role of the state in the economy, to ensure enhancing the competitiveness of the Egyptian economy and stimulating the participation of the private sector, completing the path of economic reform and consolidating macroeconomic stability.

 Medium-term development plan and budget framework

In a related context, the Minister explained that the narrative includes an executive program, which is the development plan and the medium-term budget framework that is being prepared, with clear performance indicators for all ministries and agencies in accordance with the program and performance methodology, in addition to the national program for structural reforms.

She continued that the executive program includes specific vertical goals for each ministry or entity, in addition to horizontal goals and a set of common priorities that require coordination between various ministries and agencies to ensure consistency and integration in implementation.

Opening the horizons of the economy in coordination between various ministries and state agencies

The Minister confirmed that the National Structural Reforms Program is a completely national program that aims to open the horizons of the economy in coordination between various ministries and state agencies, and that more than 50 ministries and agencies are working to implement it in solidarity and integration to implement all its procedures, explaining that through the National Structural Reforms Program we were able to mobilize $9.5 billion during 2023-2026 to support the budget and enhance economic stability.

She also noted that the narrative in its second edition includes an executive summary, in addition to the human development axis, then macroeconomic stability, industrial development, investment, the Suez Canal Economic Zone, the non-banking financial sector, foreign trade, the sectoral outlook, the green transformation, the efficiency and flexibility of the labor market, spatial planning and localization of economic development, international cooperation and partnerships, the national program for structural reforms, quantitative targets, then the program Executive.

 Achieving economic growth led by the private sector

The Minister of Planning also indicated during the press conference that the government places as its top priority achieving economic growth led by the private sector, while maintaining the quality of growth to be reflected in improving the standard of living of citizens, through the strategic goals of human development that aim to provide comprehensive health care, make educational services available to children with high quality and competitiveness, improve the availability and quality of university education outcomes in accordance with the requirements of the labor market, achieve social and spatial justice, provide food protection and food security requirements, and other goals that are directly related. By citizen.

Al-Mashat said: The narrative aims for the Egyptian economy to achieve growth of 7.5% in 2030, with a focus on the quality of growth to reflect an improvement in the standard of living of citizens, as well as raising the contribution of total private investments to 72% in 2030 to achieve growth led by the private sector.

 Increasing the contribution of manufacturing industries to the domestic product

She added: The narrative aims to increase the contribution of manufacturing industries (petroleum and non-petroleum) to the GDP to 20% by 2030, and also aims to increase the agricultural sector’s contribution to the GDP to the level of 17.7% in 2030, in addition to doubling the number of tourists to 30 million by 2030.

Accordingly, the second edition of the “National Narrative for Economic and Social Development” indicates a qualitative shift in the state’s approach, as it has placed the citizen at the center of all development policies, with a focus on human development as a tool for achieving sustainable economic growth.

This comes through integrating the efforts of the productive sectors, stimulating private investment, and linking financial performance to development performance, and then a comprehensive vision becomes clear that balances economic ambition and the citizen’s quality of life, which reflects the state’s awareness that true development is measured by the extent of improving the standard of living and expanding opportunities for all.

The Earth Guards Foundation confirms that the national narrative embodies an integrated Egyptian vision to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), by focusing on human development, ensuring good health and quality education, and promoting sustainable and comprehensive economic growth, while protecting the environment and achieving social and spatial justice. It also sees the necessity of linking economic policies to the actual needs of the citizen, and in this context the state seeks to achieve a balance between economic stability And quality of life, in line with Egypt’s Vision 2030 and its international commitments towards sustainable development.