Minister of Industry and Technological Development

MINISTER OF INDUSTRY AND TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT

1999-2001

During this period the following was achieved:

• Redefined the mission of the General Organization for Industrialization (GOFI). Appointed and activated its Board of Directors. Resolved and settled 12 years of unapproved balance sheets.
• Initiated and completed the comprehensive database for industry in Egypt (21,000 companies) including the industrial map and a guide for 3400 industrial products and EGYTEX Internet site for e-commerce for the textile industry. Database outputs and updates included a number of periodic issues monitoring monthly production of key industrial products and the availability and cost of land, infrastructure, and utilities in various provinces, also surplus capacities by industry.
• Performed and presented to the Government a comparative study of taxes and costs imposed by various local and federal government agencies on new and operating industrial projects as well as the impediments due to lengthy and overlapping procedures by such agencies.
• Established the Fashion Design Center in joint venture with the Italian Institute Burgo (Milan) under Italian management.
• Executed a program for the modernization and renovation of central laboratories, equipment, and personnel including setting up new geographic branches which resulted in reducing the time required to perform the tests from 2 weeks to 3 days.
• Developed a Quality Matrix and reorganized the Quality and Standards Agency. Concluded a collaboration agreement with the British Standards Institute (BSI) to issue jointly the CE Mark for Egyptian industrial products.
• Concluded an agreement for the joint accreditation of laboratories with UK Accreditation System UKAS and the South African Accreditation System SANAS.
• Concluded an agreement with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to introduce and train personnel on food safety systems (HACCP).
• Directed an initiative for the exploitation of Egyptian mineral resources by simplifying concession agreement procedures using the Investment Law and by promoting projects and resources in international meetings and the Internet. This resulted in the conclusion of a major joint venture agreement with an Australian company for the exploitation of Tantalum and Niobium, and in the discovery of Gold in commercial quantities at Sukkari and other locations in the Eastern Desert.
• Issued Ministerial Decrees making the pasteurization of milk obligatory for cheese production for food safety.
• Established new Technology Centers for the modernization and development of the following industrial sectors:

• Food Industries (80% complete)
• Leather Industries (85% complete)
• Textile Industries (60% complete)
• Metallurgical Industries

Steering committees were set up for each industry composed of leading industrialists and leaders from the government. Missions were sent to France, UK, Belgium, Italy, Spain, and Portugal to evaluate European Technology Centers as candidates for partnership in our Technology Centers. Substantial progress was made in this endeavor with CTC of Portugal (leather) and AINIA of Spain (food). Agreements were concluded with SATRA, BSI (UK) and Burgo, Italy, and ANIVEC of Portugal.

• Analyzed the impact of the EU Association Trade Agreement on the Egyptian Industry. The agreement permits industrial goods of European origin to enter the Egyptian market without restrictions or custom duties. Also, analyzed and reported the Specific Economic Agreement referred to as the Industrial Modernization Program (IMP) and identified its lack of substance and serious deficiencies.
• Developed strategies and 10 years projections for various industrial sectors.