Dr. Ahmed Rostom, Minister of Planning and Economic Development, participated in a panel session titled "The National Economic Transformation Program" during the events of the fourth day of the "Egypt Forum", in the presence of Dr. Moustafa Madbouly, Prime Minister. The session witnessed high-level participation including the Governor of the Central Bank of Egypt, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Advisor to the President of the Republic for Economic Affairs, the Ministers of Finance, Investment and Foreign Trade, Industry, and Labor, as well as the Governor of the Central Bank of Egypt, and was moderated by Dr. Abdel Fattah Al-Jabali.
During the session, Dr. Ahmed Rostom reviewed the main features of the "National Economic Transformation Program", explaining that it is based on three main pillars: consolidating stability, enhancing resilience, and improving the quality of growth; empowering the private sector and increasing its contribution to growth and productivity; and improving the quality of life by providing decent job opportunities, suitable incomes, and better services for citizens. He noted that the program includes 4 main pillars, 40 targets, and 185 key measures, encompassing 20 legislative reforms and 25 institutional reforms, with its implementation measured by 150 performance indicators.
The Minister of Planning and Economic Development clarified that the program focuses on consolidating macroeconomic stability and fiscal sustainability, adhering to the debt ceiling, maximizing revenue mobilization, and controlling the efficiency of public spending, alongside targeting a reduction in inflation rates and introducing new financing mechanisms, such as the infrastructure financing guarantee mechanism. He pointed out the existence of five pivotal and promising sectors whose role the government aims to enhance: agriculture, manufacturing industries, communications and information technology, tourism, and energy.
Dr. Rostom emphasized that the integration among these five sectors reflects a cumulative economic impact; as they contributed around 50% of the total real growth rate, accounted for nearly 40% of the gross domestic product (GDP), successfully attracted investment flows amounting to about $3.1 billion during the first half of the fiscal year 2025/2026, and employed around 40% of the total workforce.
Dr. Ahmed Rostom added that the reforms implemented in recent years achieved economic stability, and the current goal is to transition to "quality of growth" by expanding job opportunities in the fastest-growing activities, developing digital and technical skills, and raising citizens' incomes. He revealed the state's ambitious targets to raise the growth rate from 5.1% currently to 6.8% in 2029/2030, reduce inflation to 7%, and lower the unemployment rate to 5.5%.
Regarding financing mechanisms, Dr. Rostom explained that the government relies on diverse and innovative mechanisms, focusing on spending governance and partnerships with the private sector, praising the pivotal role of the private sector, which contributes 80% to the GDP, 58% to total investments, and accounts for 83% of the total workforce with approximately 27 million workers.
During the events, the Minister of Planning and Economic Development announced the upcoming launch of the interactive map for development projects included in the National Economic Transformation Program (2027/2030) on the Ministry's website and on the "Sharek" application, which will review and analyze the geographical distribution of projects. He also referred to efforts to restructure the "National Investment Bank" and strengthen its financial position by building strategic partnerships to maximize the utilization of its assets, following the successful resolution of financial overlaps and reaching settlements on the bank's historical debts.
Dr. Ahmed Rostom concluded his speech with a powerful message, stating: "Behind every number we monitor, there is a human life we seek to improve, an ambition of a young person we work to empower, and a child's right to better education and health… Every pound made available aims either to improve a service for a citizen, alleviate a burden on them, or provide them with a new opportunity."
