The Vision for Egypt

HUMAN CAPITAL IS our nation's most valuable asset. For our economy to sustain (let alone improve upon) its current level of growth, the nation must invest more heavily in developing the skills of our population. Should it fail to do so, the progress achieved so far will not translate into a genu­ine improvement in quality of life for all of the citizens of this great nation.

The Vision for Egypt is one in which all of this nation's citi­zens have equal access to quality education regardless of their gender and economic means. The hope for a better future lies in today's schoolchildren as they embark on their quest for knowledge. Providing our children with an education that will enable them to compete in a rapidly changing marketplace and progress professionally on the sole basis of merit must be among Egypt's very top priorities.

The Vision for Egypt is one in which the fruits of progress and growth are not limited to urban centers, but equally dis­tributed throughout the nation. By encouraging further invest­ment in underdeveloped regions of the country, particularly Upper Egypt and the border governorates, the economy will at­tain a more balanced growth that will benefit all of the popula­tion, guaranteeing a tangible improvement in the lives of citi­zens regardless of where they were born or where they reside. No longer will our nation's children feel pressure to migrate to another city, governorate or country to create their futures.

The Vision for Egypt is one in which skills are further sharpened to meet the demand of an increasingly sophisticat­ed and competitive private sector. The private sector is taking the lead and transforming our economy as it moves toward new frontiers with more skill-intensive, high-technology industries and services that are globally competitive. We must ensure that every one of our children has the opportunity to learn the skills he or she will need to participate.

This renewed emphasis on developing our nation's human capital — combined with the rigorous economic and social pol­icy reforms that the government of Egypt is currently under­taking — will allow us to create a better tomorrow for all our citizens.