● We are continuing with economic and structural reforms to achieve further progress

● The social dimension is a key objective in any economic reform policies, and citizens are at the heart of development

● The reforms implemented since March 2024 have been decisive and are reflected in economic indicators

● The “Egypt’s Narrative for Economic Development: Reforms for Growth, Jobs & Resilience” reflects a realistic vision based on specific quantitative indicators

● Expansion of universal health insurance coverage to beneficiaries of the “Takaful and Karama” program

● 5.1 million beneficiaries in the first phase of the Universal Health Insurance system

● Implementation of the “Adaa” system within the Medium-Term Development Plan to monitor the performance of various entities using specific indicators

● Egyptian economy growth sources are shifting towards higher-productivity sectors

● Public investment governance is bearing fruit and opening up more areas for the private sector

H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, affirmed that the Egyptian economy is heading toward further improvement in 2026, based on current indicators and developments in growth rates, as well as in productive sectors and the government’s ongoing structural reforms that enhance competitiveness and improve the business environment.

Al-Mashat added, in her interview on “Al-Hekaya” program with TV host Amr Adib on MBC Masr, that given the positive economic indicators for the Egyptian economy during the previous fiscal year, the coming year will represent a turning point in the Egyptian economy — especially since the sources of growth and revenues came from real economy sectors such as non-oil manufacturing, communications, tourism, and agriculture. This comes despite the contraction of the Suez Canal, extraction, and oil sectors, reflecting a fundamental transformation in the structure of the economy and growth.

Results of Economic Reform Policies

H.E. added that the positive developments observed today are the outcome of reforms that began in March 2024, explaining: “The recent monetary and fiscal reforms were a decisive step, despite the difficult global conditions. Today, we see the reflection of these reforms in price stability, improved competitiveness indicators, higher production, and other indicators such as the stability of the electricity grid and the exchange market.”

The Minister stated that the “Egypt’s Narrative for Economic Development: Reforms for Growth, Jobs & Resilience” is a practical, clear, and comprehensive framework for the future of the Egyptian economy. It reflects a realistic vision based on specific indicators, unifies efforts among various national entities within a comprehensive framework, and helps drive efforts to empower the private sector.

The Social Dimension

H.E. emphasized that Egypt’s Narrative for Economic Development has not overlooked the social dimension, as the various sectors it addresses ultimately have a direct or indirect impact on citizens. When we talk about projects such as universal health insurance or the development of technical education, we are not talking about expectations but about projects already being implemented and contributing to the improvement of human capital.

She added that the government is implementing time-bound structural reforms in health, education, and social protection sectors. Among these reforms is the automatic inclusion of Takaful and Karama beneficiaries in the Universal Health Insurance System in governorates where the system has been implemented.

The Minister noted that the government has implemented the first phase of the Universal Health Insurance System across six governorates, covering 5.1 million citizens, and the second phase is underway in six additional governorates. The government is also securing investments to develop hospitals and primary healthcare units within the system.

In the same context, Dr. Al-Mashat stated that the government is not content with expanding social protection through programs such as “Takaful and Karama,” but is also working through the economic empowerment system to strengthen families’ ability to transition out of these programs by raising their living standards and empowering them economically.

Clear Legislative and Executive Framework

H.E. highlighted that the legislative framework for preparing “Egypt’s Narrative for Economic Development” is defined in accordance with the State’s General Planning Law and the Unified Public Finance Law. Both mandate the establishment of a comprehensive development framework for the state, enhancing consistency between national strategies and enabling flexibility in the face of regional and global changes.

In this context, she explained that the Medium-Term Development Plan for fiscal years 2026/2027–2029/2030 serves as the executive program for Egypt’s National Narrative for Economic Development. It has been prepared in accordance with the program and performance methodology to monitor the performance of ministries and various entities through the “Adaa” system, which includes specific indicators to ensure target implementation.

Increased Growth and Exports

Al-Mashat explained that growth rates in the fourth quarter and the last fiscal year reached 5% and 4.4% respectively, exceeding expectations. At the same time, there has been a continuous increase in the volume of commodity exports — particularly manufactured goods — along with an increase in tourism and service revenues.

She pointed out that this growth is further supported by the government’s focus on technical education and applied technology schools in partnership with the private sector. This interest was recently highlighted by the First Lady's honoring of top technical diploma holders, demonstrating integration between investment and industry strategies and the state’s efforts to expand applied technology schools in fields most in demand in the labor market.

The National Program for Structural Reforms

The Minister affirmed that the government is continuing on the path of economic reform and implementing many measures as part of the National Structural Reform Program, which has three main pillars: strengthening macroeconomic stability, improving the business environment and investment climate, and supporting the transition to a green economy.

She added that public investment governance is a key pillar of macroeconomic stability and has had a positive impact on private sector investment, which represented about 57% of total investments during the past fiscal year (excluding inventories) — a positive indicator of growing private sector participation and an improved business environment.

Regarding private sector empowerment, the Minister highlighted efforts to promote partnership projects and expand the approval of tax and investment incentives to encourage both local and foreign investment.

Renewable Energy

The Minister then addressed the energy sector and the state’s goal of reaching 42% renewable energy by 2030. She reviewed the efforts made through the country platform for the “NWFE” Program to mobilize climate investments — amounting to $4 billion since the end of 2022 — to implement renewable energy projects with a total capacity of 4.2 gigawatts. Simultaneously, public investments are being increased to develop the national electricity grid to accommodate new energy sources.

Opening Space for the Private Sector

H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat underscored that the primary goal of all policies is to improve citizens’ quality of life. She noted that reliance on alternative energy is not limited to the state but also includes encouraging the private sector and individuals to participate in energy production and sales.

She emphasized that structural reforms are ongoing and will not stop, as every country continuously works to update its economic policies according to its stage of development and income level.

H.E. further explained that the government is working to achieve fiscal discipline and implement measures that reduce debt levels, diversify sources of financing, extend debt maturities, and lower borrowing costs. Concurrently, declining global and domestic interest rates and reduced inflation contribute to decreasing the cost of debt.

Al-Mashat concluded by reaffirming that Egypt’s Narrative for Economic Development aims to achieve integration between macroeconomic, trade, industrial, and investment policies — as well as sectoral orientations — ensuring consistency under a unified framework to increase productivity, enhance added value, and achieve real, citizen-centered development.