State Information Service- Speeshes - Loyal workers of Egypt,

Wednesday, April 24, 1996

Loyal workers of Egypt,

You were an integral part of this great victory which amazed the world and was worthy of the pride of every Egyptian. Egypt will not forget your great contribution in making this glorious day a reality after it had been a cherished hope in the heart of every Egyptian for long years. Your armed forces will never forget the brave cooperation presented by Egypt's workers who devoted the greater part of their work to the war effort. Their companies offered huge sacrifices in erecting fortified positions all along the war front and deep in the valley under the most difficult and dangerous circumstances. Egypt will always remember its martyrs who fell from among workers, engineers and technicians who fought the battle side by side with the armed forces in order to achieve this glorious victory. April 25 will continue to be a day for Egyptian patriotism symbolizing the Egyptian people's capability of sacrifice and embodying its all out unified consensus to liberate the land whatever the burdens or sacrifices may be. April 25 will continue to be a feast of sacrifice and a symbol of our armed forces determination to restore our land and dignity. The liberation of Sinai started by battles of attrition which culminated in the glorious October war, and its last stages were completed through a saga of political struggle which fructified military victory, in order to entrench the basics of justice and peace in the Middle East. This unique operation in human history reveals with its splendid and integrated phases Egypt's deep commitment to defend every span of its national soil. The liberation of Sinai laid the sound groundworks for the possibility of attaining an equitable and durable peace that surmounts all past hatred and malice. It has laid down the sound basics for co-existence, mutual security and fruitful cooperation. This wonderful saga is an unequivocal proof that an equitable peace is the true line of defence which guarantees the victory of peace loving forces over their arrogant enemies who are against the will to live and the call for rights and welfare. It was remarkable to see this huge gathering deep in Sinai, in Sharm Al Sheikh, of world leaders in support of the peace process against the threats of numerous dangers. This huge gathering representing the entire world came in response to Egypt's call to affirm the World Community's commitment to peace as a noble aim. They decided to go ahead with peace efforts, whatever the obstacles may be until their ultimate objectives are attained. All the conferees condemned all forms of terrorism. They called for the consolidation of mutual security for all parties. They reaffirmed the nessecity of implementing in letter and spirit all agreements concluded by the parties concerned. Thus the essence of the conference message and its purport is the commitment of all the world to enhance the peace process at this critical stage and its strong determination to make a success of the historic compromise between the Palestinians and the Israelis, in addition to its outright insistence on the necessity of resuming negotiations on all tracks. We are confident that comprehensive peace is inevitable despite hindrances and justice will eventually prevail over oppression and hegemony because rights are preserved by the determination of its advocates. No one can stop the roll of the wheel of peace after it has made this long journey. No one can stop the future by the shackles of the past in an era where calls for freedom and human rights are ever increasing. No one can falsify the peoples' right choice of an equitable and just peace that brings about a balance of interests among all parties. I do not need to assure you that our commitment to a just peace based on the principle of comprehensive peace for full withdrawal will remain firm as ever. I intent in this regard to admit that some practices we have witnessed recently contradict the spirit of peace and do not fulfil the expectations of the peoples who aspire for a new page in the history of the region, based on a sincere wish for co-existence and compromise, mutual respect for the feelings of others, renouncing the concepts of hegemony and superiority. However such behaviour should not shake our faith in peace nor undermine our strenuous efforts towards achieving it. Peace is a firm strategy that is not influenced by the vacillations of transient policies and errors of tactics though such vacillations may delay the sublime aim that we have been wasted. The bloody events in sisterly Lebanon during these past days are an example of stark transgressions absolutely contradicting the spirit of peace and remind us of war destruction and bloodshed. No matter what justifications Israel gives for its war on the Lebanese people in many cities and areas, yet the fact remains that this wide-scale aggression, which claimed the lives of numerous civilians, women and children, is an unforgivable and an unjustifiable error. It is a violation beyond any limit of rules of behaviour that all should adhere to in the peace-making stage regardless of any temptations or motivations. The government and people of Egypt stood against this new Israeli aggression against a sisterly Arab country and called on countries sponsoring peace as well as peace-loving forces to shoulder their responsibility and reject these Israeli practices which have gone beyond all limits. Egypt has undertaken an active role to confront these practices within the framework of the Arab League and the Security Council and in the meantime sought to convince the Israeli government of its erroneous policy, the dangers of its aftermath, and the grave impact on future Arab Israeli co-existence. I would like to reaffirm to the people of Lebanon that we fully support them in their affliction and back their defence of their sovereignty and interests. We are confident that this creative people is capable to surmount this tragedy as firmly as it has previously faced the forces of destruction in recent years. The Lebanese are a time-honoured and capable people. Under all circumstances they have been capable of preserving their dignity and proudly confronted all calamities and difficulties. Brothers and Sisters, Egypt's loyal workers, The combination of May Day with the Liberation of Sinai ceremonies this year has its reasons. It is a true embodiment of creative human effort which has changed life in Sinai and transformed it into one of the most important centers of comprehensive urbanization and development, after it had become merely a theatre of continual military battles throughout the past fifty years. In the absence of peace such a comprehensive renaissance in Sinai, worth about L.E. 75 billion, could not have been achieved . The combination of May Day with the Liberation of Sinai ceremonies this year has its reasons. It is a true embodiment of creative human effort which has changed life in Sinai and transformed it into one of the most important centers of comprehensive urbanization and development, after it had become merely a theatre of continual military battles throughout the past fifty years. In the absence of peace such a comprehensive renaissance in Sinai, worth about L.E. 75 billion, could not have been achieved . The water of the Nile has been extended to reach the Sinai Peninsula, to irrigate its valleys and plains and add 750,000 feddans of cultivated land that have changed life there, Sinai coasts have become populated cities of international tourist attraction from the four corners of the world. Sinai's mineral wealth and petroleum, which have been deeply hidden, have been revealed. Peace have wide opened the closed doors of Sinai before the faithful sons of Egypt, the loyal workers, the soldiers of development, reconstruction and prosperity. They established in Sinai a great urbanization project that is one of the national endeavours we have pride in. Hence, I greet every hand that has contributed in this great achievement which spread life on the land of Sinai. I hail the remarkable efforts of workers on every span of this precious part of our homeland where huge development is underway in a balanced combination of major projects which have transformed Sinai into a scene of fruitful work and prosperous production.

Work is at full swing to achieve this mammoth development project which requires huge expenditure for its infrastructure to be a basis for this widescale urbanization.

We are indebted, brothers and sisters for this achievement to our great people who confidently supported peace and proceeded along this difficult road believing in their capability to achieve equitable peace that serves the interests of all peoples of the region.

Peace has enabled Egypt to give top priority to continue development and implement three consecutive development plans, which dealt with the numerous aspects of deficiency that resulted from the accumulation of problems for over fifty years without any radical solution. Consequently the infrastructure collapsed, the factory machines were worn out, the treasury was on the brink of bankruptcy and economic problems aggravated until it barely reached a deadlock.

Peace helped Egypt to start an economic reform process which rectified the chronic imbalance in the economic structure, restored credibility to our national economy and placed Egypt in its proper position at the forefront of investment and production centres in the Middle East.

Peace also helped Egypt to realize true and firm democracy which withstood to overwhelming tempests. It granted the Egyptian society pluralism, a free press, and a new political system based on a state of institutions under the supremacy of law.

The great majority of the people were all for peace. Egyptian workers were the vanguards of peace. They were deeply aware that peace opens for Egypt a new future.

Our adherence to peace emanates from a deep belief in the right of this country for democracy, security and progress, and in its capability to maintain its march untill comprehensive peace is attained, which realizes the interests of all parties and preserves its security and integrity.

I have been, and still continue to be, one of the soldiers of Egypt who dedicated their lives in defence of this homeland, and who have pledged loyalty and self-sacrifice dauntless of the horrors of war for I have spent my life as a warrior sanctifying his duties. However, war is after all destructive, lethal and internecine. It is a devastation to life, resources and energies. It may become contrary to nature if it loses the sense of the necessary commitment to the defence of dignity and the homeland.

The achievements of the Egyptian people along the road to peace and progress have been a source of hatred and malice to the forces of evil who tried to direct their destructive stratagems against Egypt in order ot stop its march and hinder its progress. However, our great people have realized from the outset that these vicious groups, which seek to undermine our successes, threaten our earnings and destroy our prospects of the future. Our people adopted a firm and unified stance to condemn these crimes, and called for prompt punishment of these murderers, the enemies of life, who terrorize society, kill innocent people, and close doors before honest bread-earning with no scruples regarding the homeland, religion or conscience.

The people were not deceived by their disguise under the garb of religion. Despite the attempts of numerous hypocrites who sought to justify the crimes of these groups the conscious people realized from the very beginning and before all facts were revealed, that they are facing mercenary groups that wish to undermine Egypt's stability and progress, and who work for foreign.

The stratagems of these groups have started to collapse and their aims have been unveiled. It has become obvious to the entire world the extent of their conspiracies.

The majority of these organisations collapsed and their members and leaders fell. Many of their organisational formations at home and abroad have been unveiled, while the role of hypocrites, those who encourage them and the beneficiaries from this conspiracy has been brought to the open, though we still witness some desperate attempts by some of these groups to repeat their activities by attacking the interests of the toiling forces of this loyal people.

In this regard I find it incumbent upon me to hail the workers of Egypt who formed the vanguards of popular confrontation of terrorism and called to uproot its danger. They have protected their union against attempts of infiltration by supporters of these groups, thus setting the best example of awareness and patriotism.

Perhaps it is also convenient to express my full appreciation of Egyptian workers ' patriotism in laying down clear-cut limits to safeguard the unity and nationalism of unionist work far from partisan manoeuvering. Thus they have preserved their union against the dangers of laceration. They have thus proved the maturity and democracy of unionist action.

I would like to add my pleasure with the positive and constructive dialogue which was carried out over the past weeks between the labourers and the government on the business sector companies. It was obvious that the aim behind the dialogue was first and foremost the general interest. Its aim was to clarify to the workers the future of workers at these companies as well as the future of the campanies themselves as they are an essential part of the nation's potentials.

The dialogue was not motivated by previous rigid positions that judge matters from a fanatic standpoint without dealing with the various dimensions of the problem in the light of practical results and future prospects. In fact, it emanated from reality and facts of which both sides, the government and the people are aware.

The workers did not listen to false rumours and did not allow opportunists to change facts. They did not pass their judgements before getting acquainted with the true image. They sought a serious and responsible dialogue which resulted in an insight that takes into consideration the inerests of both workers and companies. This is actually the highest degree of awareness and national responsibility.

We are currently waging a battle of progress under difficult circumstances and in which the interests and objectives of countries contradict. The strong wish to become stronger at the expense of others. They want to monopolize all means of progress in order to maintain their control over world markets and spheres of influence. We have to try hard along the road of progress, relying on ourselves. A nation can only be built by the toil and minds of its sons, protected only by its ability to compete with both abundant and quality production.

We have to benefit from the experience of other nations without committing their mistakes.

We have to understand our own realities because every nation has its own circumstance and experience. There are no pre-set formulas for nations to apply regardless of their position and circumstances. However, there are lessons to be derived and of benefit to all. Egypt is a developing country of limited resources and over population. It wages a war of comprehensive transition in order to keep abreast of the times depending on itself in a difficult age governed by the superpower groupings and their rapid competition for markets.

The economic reform process has succeeded in Egypt because it took into consideration the conditions of the society. It adopted the system of measured stages. If we had followed the path of others by liquidating all the established institutions before finding the proper equivalents to replace them, we would have wreaked utter destruction and chaos that herald a relapse in the reform process and long suffering.

We have covered the greatest part of reform successfully despite its enormous difficulties, for we have taken into consideration our own experiment and avoided the errors of others.

We have, and still, insist on the necessity of the cohesion of the home front, and of safeguarding legitimate political action against conspiracies of the enemies of democracy. We have also insisted on the importance of having freedom and responsibility go hand in hand, and on streamlining in order to secure the progress march. None of these regulations impeded the democracy of political action or the freedom of opinion. On the contrary, we aimed at protecting our march because democracy is not a dream emerging from a vacuum, but rather a responsible framework for the politcial action of the masses based on pluralism and securing legitimacy and the law.

We respect the right of opposition and free opinion, but we reject all claims of opportunists based on the distortion of facts in a bid to serve national interests.

We respect the freedom of the press and consider it a safety valve that protects the society's march. But we want an opinion to be free but reponsible, respecting truth and facts and does not encroach upon the rights of others.

We appreciate partisan work and respect the role of the opposition. But we refuse any void partisan manoeuvering, illegitimate forces whose objectives are known to all.

Brothers and Sisters,

We only seek God's blessings and the dignity of our homeland. There is nothing to fear, seek to attain or to dissimulate behind. Our record is spotless and we hold high our heads for we have a pure conscience. We only seek the progress and prosperity of this nation and for its march to achieve its ends through responsible democracy that safeguards the cohesion of the society, conscious freedom coupled with rights and duties, correct behaviour that secures the rights of others besides their own.

The Egyptian workers have supported the economic reform efforts out of their reponsible awareness that reform aims at the promotion of the nation's potentials, upgrading production institutions, increasing growth rates and creating more job opportunities for the coming generations.

These goals require optimal investment of the available potentials, the maximum possible expansions in development in addition to new potentials that realize the aspired upsurge towards vaster vistas.

All this requires a greater role by Egypt's workers as well as greater contribution in realizing our ambitious goals. The success of development plans relies, to a large extent, on the minds and sinews that implement and transform them into reality. Hence it was incumbent upon us to provide our brothers and sons, the workers, with all elements that avail them of the opportunity to play this role both efficiently and effectively, far from any doubt or concern.

I have repeatedly confirmed that preserving the rights of the workers is the most important responsibility of the government which gives top priority to the maintenance of the working class interest. Yet, there are some who try to rouse concern among workers by spreading false rumours on the possible collective lay-off as a result of selling some business sector units, as it was the case with western capitalist or other countries which have recently adopted a policy of economic freedom. You have clearly witnessed and beyond all doubts that privatization in Egypt is basically governed by numerous regulations foremost among which is Egyptian sovereignty over its land and in decision-making, in its commitment to the general interest, the rights of owners and workers, and the continuation of activities carried out by the companies whether privatization was total or partial, together with commiting new officials to maintain the present labour forces in the company.

We are fully aware of the dangers that may possibly affect the independence of national economy. If we welcome foreign capital, we judge the matter very closely and study each case separately. There are certain strategic projects related to the general and national interest of the entire people that should continue to be part of the business sector.

Brothers and Sisters, Workers of Egypt,

We should be more fair in the assessment of the private sector role at the present stage, and have more confidence in its ability to be nationally committed to the goals of the society.

The image of the capitalist who exploits his workers and leaves them penniless and hungry has become part of a past stage that will never return under a government that takes sides with the interests of the masses, and in an era where workers' rights have increased and the role of their organisations are well established under new working conditions requiring a more balanced relationship between workers and owners of work. This relationship is carried out in a developed legislative atmosphere confirming a balance between rights and interests of all categories of the society.

At present, we have an Egyptian private sector with an insight into the future and not into the past. It establishes huge projects on national soil, confident of his security and stability, bearing in mind the rights of workers in wages, incentives and services, and provides them with many social care programmes that are more progressive and comprehensive than those of the business sector.

Doors should be wide open before these people. We should encourage them to contribute to development projects without any limits or ceilings. They should be given priority to foreign capital. We have many such bright examples of hope that deserve all our encouragement. We have a great number of such factories in the new cities which were capable of entering the competitive arena in markets abroad by their upgraded production. They produced high quality products which were a source of pride to every Egyptian.

We also have scores of Egyptian investors who set up huge touristic projects along the Red Sea coast in Sinai, thus creating thousands of work opportunities to our promising youth.

We have examples of great efforts exerted by the private sector in the developed agriculture field in the new reclaimed land. Modern and advanced agriculture was set up, the products of which are mostly for export.

They have proven their worthiness by their ability to withstand competition from many countries.

It has now become an established fact that increasing development rates and their expansion outside the narrow strip of the valley to cover all the country, and to create new job opportunities to meet the demands of Egyptian youth and the coming generations, makes it incumbent upon us to encourage the private sector and extend its contribution to the greatest extent possible, grant it the credibility of the society for without its ever-increasing role in development projects, it will be difficult to realize the objectives of the production upsurge stage.

We are proud and satisfied that the private sector which in 1981 used to contribute about 20% of the volume of investments contribution is now reaching 55%. According to 1994 assessments, the public sector has contributed in the new investments with some L.E. 17 billion. This rate will rise to about L.E. 22.5 billion this year.

Brothers and Sisters,

You may remember that I stressed at the last May Day the necessity of raising development rates to reach more than twice the population growth rates in the fiscal year plan of 1995/96, to be raised gradually to 7% before the year 2000, to reach more than thrice the population growth rates, because the current development rates can no longer cope with the burdens of progress under the ongoing big population increase.

Over 3 successive five-year-plans, we achieved an annual average growth rate of 4.7%, as the largest part of our huge investment expenditures during this period were channelled to the deteriorated infrastructure. But, this year and in the coming years, the government embarks upon raising the growth rates to the aspired level, so that we can achieve tangible progress, and face the needs of the expected population increase which will reach 6 million more before the year 2000. Over the same period, about 3 million youth will enter the labour market, and we have to provide suitable work conditions and jobs for them.

I think that it is the first time in history of national work to implement three successive development plans ceaselessly, under peace that gives Egypt the chance to place sustainable development on top of its priorities.

The march of development in Egypt was hindered for about half a century because of the burdens created by the four wars Egypt went through to defend its national security and exhausted many of our economic and social capabilities and hindered our breakthrough .We have to make up for the past, so as to bridge the gap of progress.

Countries of less human, historic and cultural potentials than those of Egypt, have managed to achieve high development rates which made them on equal-footing with the advanced countries. I believe that we can now achieve such a goal.

Hence, my insistence on raising development rates by 1995, and entrusting the new government with placing this goal on top of its priorities, exerting all efforts to achieve this end and eliminating all obstacles impeding it.

We have now all the potentials that make achieving such a goal possible and a must, and never slacken in its implementation.

We have security and stability that ensure maintaining the march of construction in an atmosphere not to be jeopardized by the dangers of war and terrorism, God willing.

Middle East peace will prevail and deepen its roots irrespective of impediments. Peace embodies the will of the peoples of the region and enemies of peace will never backtrack the region or disappoint their hopes for a better future.

We have stable economic policies which create an attractive investment climate. The exchange rate was stablized according to market rates, the budget deficit diminished inflation rates decreased, impediments to investment were eliminated, the funds of Egyptian expatriates were eliminated, and the pioneer role of the private sector became essential for the future of development.

Our infrastructure on which we spent about L.E. 160 billion, and without which no investment project could have been implemented.

Monetary liquidity enabled our national banks to offer all the needed credit facilities in Egyptian pounds and foreign currencies. Our pioneer experience in economic reform was successful. We went through all its difficult phases, redressed the chronic structural imbalance of our national economy and set Egypt's priorities in the right order. We had the chance to find drastic solutions for many of our problems and sought progress through self-reliance.

Above all that, we have loyal workers capable of perfection, and of absorbing modern systems of production. They highly esteem the value of work, back every national project, protect factories and establishments, as they believe that protecting the institutions of national work is protecting the potentials of the homeland and the source of living of millions of workers.

Since all these factors are available what else do we lack that would restrain us from following the example of other nations which began their development without these potentialities.

We lack more discipline, the correct and complete understanding of the meaning of rights, duties, freedom, responsibility, and the necessity of achieving a balance between individual and national interests.

We lack a strict commitment to the standards of quality and perfection which we are able to acquire.

We lack the renunciation of the remaining worn-out concepts which still impede our march.

This is a common responsbility between school and home, parties and unions, educational and information institutions, thought and cultural bodies.

We have to be honest with ourselves, point out our defects and try to remedy them, because being truthful with oneself is the shortest way to the right path.

Brothers and Sisters,

We are fighting a battle of upsurge at the threshold of a new world, whose old walls and barriers are collapsing to evolve as one market in which the fittest, the most accurate and perfect remains.

National industry - in any country - can hardly conceal its shortcomings behind customs protection walls. We shall not be able to lock ourselves indoors, because the success and sustenance of development efforts are related to our capability to increase our exports to the world, and to have new well-manufactured commodities susceptible of exchange and competition.

It is however illogical and unacceptable to import commodities whose value this year is $ 12 billion while our exports of non-petroleum commodities total $ 2.8 billion.

We do not demand self-sufficiency in every commodity because this is an impractical economic requirement. There are numerous commodities which we may not be capable of producing with the same quality and cost realized by others who have a relative advantage whereby they have the precedence in producing them.

We do not call for the realization of self-sufficiency in every commodity, but we are seeking a reasonable balance between our exports and imports so that Egypt might have its fair share in international trade. This is our own responsbility and no one else.

There is no alternative, but to realize a rapid annual increase in our exports, not less than one billion dollars yearly to guarantee the success of development efforts. This is a modest figure that can be easily realized if we are keen on quality, perfection and the implementation in due time.

The government has already eliminated impediments and obstacles encountering exports. It shortened many procedures, reduced duties and expenses, facilitated the establishment of new projects especially in upper Egypt and directed our embassies in the different capitals of the world to the necessity of enhancing the marketability of Egyptian products in foreign markets. But it all depends on the production of well manufactured, competitive and exchangeable commodities.

We are proceeding along the right path. There are some encouraging Egyptian efforts that were able to invade world markets with their products and were widely welcomed for they attained superiority over similar commodities. But we are still at the beginning of a long way which needs momentum after momentum until the issue of exports becomes the prime interest of every Egyptian. We have to pay due attention to the industry sector as it is the cornerstone in any sustained development. The growth rate of national economy depends on the success that could be scored by that vital sector. Industry can contribute in increasing our export of commodities, provide many job opportunities which can absorb the great majority of the annual labour force and hit a big surplus which increases the power of national economy to continually grow relying on this surplus.

Since we need now new job opportunities at an annual rate of not less than 500,000 as of next year that will rise to 100,000 every year, we cannot achieve that goal without being concerned with the industrial sector which can absorb the great majority of this manpower.

We have to give this important sector opportunities to flourish to be able to realize an annual growth rate of not less than 9% and consequently we can manage to provide more job opportunities for youth.

Our ambitious target is to make Egypt, within the coming few years, at the vanguard of states that receive industrial investment in the Middle East and to become a main export centre to all world markets. That hope is enhanced by a sustainable increase in private investments which exceed L.E. 22 billion this year. The greater part of it was allocated to the industry which also received foreign investments increasingly.

However, I ask the government to go ahead with the elimination of the remaining obstacles hindering industrial investment or delaying its operation, to concentrate its efforts on developing the projects of the infrastructure which can open new arteries far from the narrow valley to complete the establishment of the new industrial areas north of the Gulf of Suez, Port Said and west of Alexandria, and to plan for setting up similar areas in the south of the Valley.

Also, tourism has to be at the forefront of investment which is given top priority by the government and society, especially with the everincreasing of national capital towards investments in tourism. We hope that Egypt's share of international tourist will grow in a way that meets its tourist capabilities in the coming years.

The interest in the industrial and tourist sectors, in the production take off stage runs parallel with our due interest in the agricultural sector which still represents the greatest activity of a huge number of Egypt's population who bore the burden of sacrifice for many years, before finally liberalizing the prices of agricultural crops, so that, they could gain for the first time the fruits of their strenuous efforts.

The big effort exerted in this sector during recent years, which added one million and 400 thousand feddans furnished by a network of new canals and by-ditches stretching for 4 thousand km, that is longer than the Nile, must be invested properly and profitably.

We have to take care of export crops and designate new land for it in order to be able to sustain our increasing food imports.

Brothers and Sisters,

We are exerting big efforts in all national work to ensure the aspired for take off of Egypt and our sole aim is to pose the nation high and improve the life of its sons. These are two parallel aims because the nation can not be strong without the dignity of its sons who enjoy security, stability, dignified life and complete equality before the law under basic guarantees which protect human rights, sustain man's dignity and his right of equal opportunity without any suspicions of fanaticism, discrimination or bias.

In return, the strength of the nation springs from the deep-rooted feeling of belonging of its sons, their commitment to the general national interests, their awareness of the sense of responsibility and duty, their persistence on work and perfection and their ability of solidarity and mercifulness.

Depending on the complete perception of the relation between the individual and the nation comes our deep belief that man is the motivator of development. He is its axis and goal and without his enthusiasm and contribution no development is attained.

Its goals can be lost in the atmosphere of bureaucracy, manipulation, monopoly and illicit gain.

There is no good in development which is confined to a limited minority that monopolizes the revenues of national effort.

As long as we are concerned with upgrading the national income we are also concerned with increasing the individual's share of this income to guarantee the steady and continuous improvement of his income and standard of living. We are also concerned with raising the standard of services, especially, in the fields of education, health, housing and utilities.

We are concerned, in addition, with well-distribution of development projects over the different provinces of Egypt to guarantee a just compensation to some deprived provinces of Egypt as we aim at a just, sustained and continuous development.

Great progress has been achieved at the levels of wages which have been increased 8 times during the past fourteen years.

In 1981 salaries and pensions reached to L.E. 2 and half billion from the state budget. This figure has been increased now to more than L.E. 20 billion and the average per capita income has risen to 91l dollars in 1994/1995 and will reach to 1030 dollars in 1995/1996, after it was 610 dollars in 1981/1982.

We hope to achieve, during the coming few years and with the begining of the year 2000, a tangible increase in the average of incomes and salaries in order to be on equal footing with developing countries.

Moreover, huge progress in all sorts of services has been achieved, despite the huge annual increase in population.

Brothers and Sisters,

I do not want to bother you with figures, but I would like to point out two of them to be precise which are of great significance that can only be over looked by the stubborn and arrogant.

Over the past few years, we doubled more than once the amount directed to health services. Today, this sum exceeds L.E. 3600 million in contrast to L.E. 319 million some years back.The amount allocated to education was multiplied to reach L.E. 11,000 million instead of L.E. 954 million. We consider promoting the quality of education and modernizing its schools and programmes are the right and only entrance for building a society capable of confronting the challenges of the age.

Knowledge, science and innovation are the most decisive and effective elements in the issue of production. Priority is given to services necessary for sons of labourers and peasants who are the pillars of development and makers of glory and progress.

One of the main features of the new world is the growing role of knowledge, science and innovation in the process of production. These elements enable producers to vary, decrease the cost and widen the range of commodity.

Hence, it has become necessary for the labour force to acquire more knowledge, specialization and training in the near future. This requires a reconsideration of the present structure of Egyptian labour so as to guarantee its compliance with the new world reality.

This cannot be attained unless we attend to technical education which polishes man's skills and abilities, as well as developing training programmes for Egyptian labour. Moreover, we are also responsible for the just geographic distribution of development plans guaranteeing the balance of utilities and services among the various parts of Egypt. Upper Egypt governorates should be compensated for their suffering as a result of the high natality rate, lack of resources, the narrow strip of cultivated area and the insufficiency of production and service.

This year, the infrastructure of six new cities and eighteen industrial areas will be prepared . Most of them are in Upper Egypt governorates, in Minya, Assiut, Sohag, Qena and Aswan . These areas will be allocated for establishing complexes of small industries to create new job opportunities for thousands of youth: Projects as such, which are offered free land shall be supported by soft loans, in addition to the distribution of reclaimed land on graduates.

Brothers and Sisters,

We are starting a new phase of a successful march whose aim is utilizing the homeland capacities and potentials, after eliminating hindrances and the road has become clear and safe.

Nothing, now, justifies slackness and bureaucracy to evade the responsibility of decision making.

Now, decision is definitive and related to the optimal investment of available potentials and encouraging new ones to add to the nation's strength.

Now, there is nothing that justifies hesitation, anxiety or claiming that the vision is not clear to evade the responsibility of choice. Choice is obvious and definitive. It focuses on liberalizing the potentials of the public sector and individual initiatives, as far as possible in order to extend development all over Egypt.There is no time to waste for the race is severe, competition is ferocious, distances are widening and the procession of progress does not wait for anyone while we are about to enter the 21st century. Nothing justifies lagging behind for we have underpinned a great awakening of a nation that is mastering its potentials, librating itself from the shackles of the past, fostering its sons as they are pushing forward the wheel of progress along a clear and bright road, lit by our determination on solidarity and interdependence, in defence of unity of the homeland and social peace.

This road is also lit by our resolves to effect a balance of rights among all categories of the society to attain justice.

The road is lit by our deep faith in this people's capability of attaining its goals and patriotism.

We have confronted grave hardships and dangers to reach this end and to steer the ship to a safe shore to enable Egypt to regain its strength and be prepared for a real take off stage. Thank God for enabling us to confront the hardships of the road, protecting us from areas of error, and leading our march to safety. Thank God for uniting us together and litting our road with knowledge. Thank God for uniting our great people to stand hand in hand as they seek to achieve their great objectives and expectations. Thank God for national cohesion and solidarity in disasters and ordeals.

Thank God for giving us strength and enabling us to have insight along the path of righteousness.

Thank God for granting us a solid labour force that does not fear challenges nor hardships. A conscious labour force that is aware of its great national responsibility, knows its road and exerts strenuous efforts for the sake of God and the homeland.

May God bless us and protect our march.


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