State Information Service- Speeshes - Address by President Muhammad Hosni Mubarak on Labour Day

Thursday, April 30, 1998

Address by President Muhammad Hosni Mubarak on Labour Day

Brother Citizens,
Today, same as ever before, we meet, not only to celebrate our great workers and greet their role in performing the biggest national issues and realizing national goals, but also to review what has been accomplished during last year and the challenges our people will face in the future. It is our belief that Egypt's loyal workers are the builders of the present and the hope for the future. Every national achievement is initiated with tireless, persistent efforts and will be completed only with sincere, strenuous exersion and uninterrupted endeavours on the part of each and every worker who belongs to this secure God-blessed country.

It is our duty to greet each and every worker and woman worker in Egypt, who adds to the construction of this great structure, every mind that contributes to the development of production and promotion of products in all fields, in satisfaction of an obligation to the homeland and national allegiance and a commitment to keep Egypt's name hoisted high in the world.

Greetings to every one of you, workers of Egypt on your glorious day, on which we triumph for the value of work, which has been raised by Heavenly religions to the rank of worship, and held as an indicator to the belief of man in his mission, his conception of his role in the reconstruction of the universe and glorification of life, his responsibility for realizing revival in all phases, where man in Egypt has risen to higher grades and wider prospects.

Greetings to all of you, as you represent the vanguards of the conscious national powers which have engaged in all national struggle battles throughout the ages in the roughest and toughest situations.

You have never hesitated to engage in the battle and accepted challenge. You have never slackened in performing duty and shouldering responsibility. You have always proved to be the sincere grandsons of the great Pyramids' builders and the most glorious civilization since the beginning of creation.

Greetings are due to the masses of honourable workers who are extending veins of life and growth to every spot of time-honoured Egypt, and to those who are prospecting for welfare and prosperity in every spot of national soil, setting up plants, farms and houses. They constitute battalions of reconstruction and urbanization, stimulating hope, self-confidence, inspiring thoughts and paving the way for a better future.

Loyal Egyptian workers were most keen on protecting Egypt's conscience and tolerant spirit which reject fanaticism, extremism, violence and terrorism. It insists on social cohesion and the steadfastness in the face of sedition which a biased minority had attemped to fire out in Egypt. It is the solid bastion for co-existence and brotherhood among all belonging to this great country and its deeply-rooted civilization. Hence, the masses of workers have given an example of consciousness and prompt perception of threat and sense of responsibility.

As Egypt embarked on the battle for economic reform under hard and painful circumstances, workers were the first to perceive that reform aims first and foremost at realizing the interests of the working class and limited income brackets. With their highly-sensitive national insight, they have realized that reform was a mandatory and indispensible process for a strong, healthy economy, capable of meeting increasing requirements and aspirations and securing the interests of the limited income brackets against the deterioration of their conditions and aggravation of problems day by day.

Never have the honest working powers of Egypt hesitated to engage into the battle of reform. They willingly put up with the suffering of the initial phase of reform, where every citizen was required to provide further effort and input, sacrificing some of the needs of the present for the sake of building the future. Meanwhile, the workers' base has already realized that the reform programme was purely national in terms of goals, purpose, mechanisms and techniques.

On the soil of the blessed Sinai, masses of workers have, in recent years, shouldered the responsibility for realizing the most massive development and reconstruction process, resulting in the extension of urbanization and prosperity along the lengthy coastline and the creation of a new reality in the Peninsula, which had, for centuries, suffered from neglect and oblivion.

The Labour Day this year is a special occasion, where our homeland stands on historical crossroads in the full sense of the word. It is progressing towards a completely new phase which offers as many opportunities and capabilities as it provides challenges and demands.

Therefore, to face such a historic challenge, we have no option but to be at the head of the ranks because leadership is the position that Egypt is worthy of. We should also take the initiative of conducting necessary steps to achieve the required transformation without hesitation or negligance.

Although we do realize the transformation to the new world economy which is being increasingly globalized across the geographical and political boundaries, yet we insist, once more, on stricking a harmonious balance between the particularity of Egyptian reality and the generality of contemporary global trends. Whenever a contradiction arises between both factors, we do not hesitate to give priority to the national interest and protect the progress of our self-building efforts. We believe that unless the international community enables each nation to strongly and steadly tackle the battle of economic transformation under a just and fair system respecting the conditions of individual nations, such transformation will lose its raison d'etre and legality, and will be far away from being global and general. It will rather be confined to certain peoples seeking to exclusively reap the fruits of transformation and unilaterally set its principles, regulations and rules. Such considerations will be under elaborate researches and discussions during the coming G-15 Summit Conference to be held in Cairo the second week of May. This conference will express stances and ambitions of all developing nations, struggling to forge their way to the new world economy in very difficult circumstances.

The coming days will witness significant developments in the Middle East peace process. The United States will present its prospective initiative aiming at getting the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations out of the current bottleneck, and salvaging the peace process from the stalemate, forbidding serious consequences for all parties, Middle East countries and the international community interests.

Therefore, we hope that the meeting to be held in London within few days, will reach an acceptance of the American initiative which strickes a balance between the interests and requirements of both parties and reflects the US commitment with agreements earlier signed by both parties.

It may be appropriate now to call on Israeli people and Government to deal with the Palestinians as free partners, rather than bitter enemies. In addition, Israel should realize that it is time for both parties to wind up the past, bury the hatchet and begin a new era of co-existence based on respecting Palestinian feelings and legitimate rights and discarding mutual violence, devastating extremism and blind fanaticism.

We do hope that the international community's interest in the peace process be continued especially on the part of the European Union which has taken a wise stance in compliance with historical and geographical relations between the European continent and the Middle East region and close correlation between peace, security and stability in both regions.

I have obviously felt that awarness during my talks with British Prime Minister, Tony Blair whose country currently heads the European Union. I have found him to be resolute on performing an active and effective role in pushing forward peace process and removing obstacles facing it.

Egypt will not hesitate to do her best to help make the peace process a success. Egypt was the state that had taken the first historic steps on the road to peace.

Egypt will be always an active pole looking forward to a secure and equitable future for all parties, she will be always keen on stabilizing the region and disbanding the spectre of recourse to violence and shedding innocent blood.

So, I am always in contact with the American President, Bill Clinton who exerts great endeavours to overcome the crisis.

I always consult with the leaders of friendly European countries. First and foremost, I exchange opinion with my brothers kings and Heads of state whose role in maintaining the unity of the Arab stance in the face of whole challenges is appreciated .

We cannot talk about the peace process without underlining the importance of reviving negotiations on both Syrian and Lebanese tracks. Also, we are committed to the referential authority of Madrid Peace Conference as a basis for negotiations to complete the chain of comprehensive and just peace, thus, the peoples of the region can progress direct towards the future with peace and hope and devoting themselves to meet increasing requirements of the era, free of all shackles of past feuds, complexes and griefs.

The talks concluded during the past two weeks with my brother President Hafez Al-Assad, Lebanese Prime Minister Raffik Al-Hariri have proved that both brotherly countries have a sincere desire to work for peace and seize every available opportunity to implement the Security Council Resolutions Nos. 242, 338 and 425 under no further conditions or prejudice to the agreements already made.

Dear Brothers and Sisters
I was not exaggerating when I gave tribute to the Egyptian workers' role in successfully implementing the economic reform programme, started during the eighties, fully aware of its dimensions and requirements. We had to be patient and tolerant irrespective of necessary hardships & sacrifices. The masses of workers had to realize that they ultimately would be the first to reap the fruit of reform. Failing this, transformation will be effected to a limited segment group of the society, which is absolutely unacceptable and will never happen.

Without going into unnecessary details, we can recall that period with its comprehensive and commanding facts in regard to the then existing infrastructure conditions. Let us also recall the difficulty of attracting foreign investments at the required rates, problems resulting from the decrease in petroleum prices. All this had led to an increase in the burden of foreign debts, to such suffocating levels that posed a threat to development efforts. In addition, let us recall the difficult negotiations with international finance institutions who sought to impose their vision of the required reform programme and method of implementation and finally our insistence to have a purely Egyptian programme in terms of concept, orientation and steps. In this programme, we rejected any such risky venture that might threaten the course of reform, cause damage to limited-income groups or prejudice our commitment to social justice in all our policies.

Thanks to God Almighty, we have been progressing in sure and calculated step towards reform. We managed, with great difficulty and through persistent work to reduce foreign debts down to fifty percent. This progress was indicative of a headlong march towards a new phase where we strove to maximise strengths and build on achievements.

With the past seven years, Egypt could carry out tremendous achievements in the economic field, far beyond the expectations of not only the international economic and financial circles but also of many people at home.

We have always sought to establish the required transformation on firm grounds. Legislations were issued to make it easy for the private sector to participate wholeheartedly in production and development operations. In addition, the stock market was re-structured so that Egypt could regain its position as a prominent regional financial centre.

Moreover, we sought to draw attention to the need to acquire and locally develop modern technologies so that Egypt should be a maker rather than merely an importer or consumer of technology.

Close scrutiny of the achievements made throughout the successive phases of reform, will reveal that to realise our ambitious goals is no indulgence into fantasy, wild dreams or fortunetelling. It is rather a goal based on realistic and objective estimates in the light of achievemetns already made under harder circumstances and in the absence of advantages already realised thanks to the successful implementation of the successive 5-year plans, the genuine awareness and patriotism of this great nations, its willingness to redouble its efforts, whenever it senses serious challenges and devoted endeavours of reform.

An objective, impartial and unexaggerated assessment of such achievements, will reveal that the following indicators are universally acknowledged by economic experts for judging a nation's ecomony.

Economic growth rate, budget deficit/GDP ratio, inflation rate, volume of foreign currency reserves, foreign indebtedness, the cost of foreign debt in relation to export proceeds.

If we have a close look at the first indicaton we will find that economic growth rate rose from 1.9% in 1990/91 to 5.3% in 1996/97. It expected to reach 5.7% this year. The budget deficit which reached its highest in 1990/91, representing 20% of the gross domestic product, has dropped to less than 1% since 1996/97. Moreover, the inflation rate for the same period fell from 21% to 4% in this year.

While in 1990/91 we had virtually no foreign currency reserves, this items now shows more than US Dollar 20 billion.

The volume of foreign debt decreased from $ 52 billion to $ 28 billion. While in 1987/88 foreign debt service consumed up 25% of the exports revenues, it now accounts for 8.5% of such revenues in this year.

A close look at the production volume and value figures will reveal that the cultivated area in 1981/82 was 6.2 million feddans. However, the Egyptian farmer, supported by proper planning and intensive care on the part of the state, has managed to increase the cultivated area to 8 million feddans.

As for industrial production, it suffices to point out that production of many basic commodities has re-doubled several times since 1981/82:
Cement production rose sixfold from 3.6 million tons to 21.6 million tons. Iron and steel production increased to more than fourfold from one million tons to 4.3 million tons. Ready-made garments production rose four and half fold from 44.8 million pieces to 203.5 million. Sugar production rose twofold from 700,000 tons to 1.4 million tons, in addition to many other chemical and engineering products. This is a great achievement of which you were the heroes and makers.

Needless to say that such achievements would not have come out of vacuum. They rather demanded strenuous efforts, to which the state contributed an investment programme of approximately LE 447 billion over the last 16 years, of which LE 216 billion was allocated to infrastuctrure, LE 190 billion to production sector LE 41 billion to services including education and health.

These are the indicators universally agreed upon by experts as a criteria for assessing the strength of a nation's economy and the soundness of its economic policy. These are clearly an indicative of both the progress we have achieved within a limited number of years and potential achievement that can be made in future should we continue adopt the same policy, provide full opportunity for producers to redouble their input, especially after issuing the necessary laws protecting such transformation. It is based on encouraging national and foreign investment, attracting advanced technology and eliminating obstacles facing Egyptian exports. At the same time, the State is giving greater attention to social reforms, i.e; in fields of education, health, housing and social care.

You will agree with me brothers, that it is wrong to say that foreign investment detracts in any way from the independence of the Egyptian will or infringes on the rights of any Egyptian, especially the rights and interests of the working class. Such investment is carried out within the framework of the state policy of encouraging participation in increasing production.

It is equally governed by the same laws and controls applicable to domestic investment. These controls provide for encouraging investors to create new job opportunities and introduce advanced technology for producing commodities and services. In addition, increased competition between producers would certainly benefits the masses of people especially limited-income citizens.

I would like to make it clear that encouraging the private sector will not result in eliminating or limiting the role of the State in Egypt. This role will only change and take new forms. The State will remain responsible for planning policies, determining the course, establishing criteria plans and programmes, streamlining procedures and implementing administrative reform programmes, with the purpose of making it easy for every Egyptian and foreigner seeking to contribute to production and provide new job opportunities.

Above all, the State will continue to function as the competent body to maintain the required balance between the interests of the different categories of the people, ensuring that no category prevails over the other and maintain the balance which guarantees justice and social stability.

In this context, I would like to reiterate clearly that one of the most important roles of the State in the period of revival is to protect workers' interests and legitimate rights against any attempt to encroach upon them. The State in Egypt will never abandon this role .

Just as the State has played a main and prominent role in reducing the burden of foreign debts, it takes advantage of relations with various countries in order to open new markets to Egyptian goods, create job opportunities for Egyptians and bring home State-of-the-art technologies at the best possible terms.

I need not dwell on the obligation upon the private sector to take over its social responsibility because the initial signs we have seen over recent years are indicative of the recognition by businessmen of the importance of meeting such responsibility as a national requirement and tax they have to pay in return for the opportunity offered to them by the State to contribute to the various sectors of production and services. This phenomenon was manifested by contributions made to provide schools with equipment and apparatuses required for modern education, setting up public libraries, confronting emergency situations the society has been exposed to such as earthquakes and torrential rains, caring for children and patients and collaborating the State in constructing housing units for the youths and low-income brackets at prices commensurate with their earnings. We hope this orientation will grow stronger among businessmen in coming years in Satisfaction of the debt they owe to their homeland.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
In brief, I have presented to you with no exaggeration the record of achievements already realized over the past few years since the country embarked onto the great economic breakthrough. It is maybe said that the simple citizen has not yet sensed a tangible improvement in his standard of living and daily life. The answer to this is that what has been achieved was the necessary foundation for the next phase of the reform, where we stand today at the threshold. It is the phase of creating high and sustainable growth rates that tangibly reflects on the average per capita income and standard of living. As you are well aware, the results of any economic reform are not obtained over night, but rather materialises and shapes up following long years of strenuous work and sustained efforts. Under well-planned, stable policies, reforms move forward on firm, well-established and unwavering grounds. Whoever hesitates in such stage would lose the chance of reaping the fruits of reform after having already incurred a good deal of burdens and costs of reform.

We should be aware as well that in order for us to reap the fruits of these policies during the coming years, we are required to meet new challenges with the very same determination and will, the same objective, scientific approach and clear vision along with full awareness of the role each and every one of us should perform in the various phases of reform and construction. The main challenges can be summarized in the following:

First:
Achieve a qualitative and quantitive leap in production and raise productivity at growing rates. This requires, first of all, providing the highest volume of investmetns for ambitious productive projects which we plan to set up during the coming period, especially those designed to expand production base for development. These include -besides the old valley- new areas for expansion South of the Valley in Toshka, Owainat, the Gulf of Suez, Sinai and Upper Egypt governorates which have suffered from deprivation for long decades, rather, complete centuries. Moreover, we have a huge project for improving Egyptian villages by offering incentives for miscellaneous productive activities in villages which have turned into consumption outlets. I would like to assert in this connection, that we give these giant projects due time for objective research and study. We never close our doors before any individual or institutional suggestions proposed by experts and specialists in order to verify that the set plans provide the best alternatives for reaching the desired ends. We shall not hesitate to receive any thoughts or remarks by any Egyptian capable of contributing to this field. I need not reiterate that we do not think of any project as a means of winning political gains. Our ultimate end is to serve the Egyptian people and realize their hopes in the present and the future by selecting the best alternatives at hand for the best interest of the homeland.

The State's key role in these projects is to provide them with the infrastructure necessary to attract investors to undertake them.

To complete our talk on production, we should point out the State's concern with small-scale youth-run enterprises. Many people might be unaware that these enterprises do provide a non-negligible percentage of job opportunities in Egypt. Furthermore, these enterprises respond quickly to changing social needs. Thus, they deserve full encouragement and sponsorship on the part of the State and the community. It is planned to draw up a national policy for the support, development, financing and coordination of these enterprises.

Second:
Paying more attention to export as a major national goal being a basic pillar for revival and progress. Unless we produce and export more than we consume and import, our economy will fall short behind the great boom moving abreast with the great awakening we have vowed to keep up with. Otherwise, we will continue, even at increasing rates to be dependent on others for satisfying much of our needs; situation that involves threats to the future of the nation under unpredictable circumstances which offer no guarantee of harmony with national interests.

We should be fully aware that the world around us is moving ahead in a feverish speed and an unpreceedented pace. Unless we move effectively and daringly during the few coming years to redouble our exports and open stable markets before it, we will be overrun in the race which has become an apriori under the new world economic order.

We must honestly admit that what has been achieved so far is but an initial step in order to reach the aspired upgrading of Egyptian exports, though we hope a major upswing would take place in exports beyond the current rates. Worthmentioning, that the value of non-oil exports in 1996/97 which did not exceed LE 7.9 billion; is expected to reach LE 10 billion this year with an increase of LE 2.1 billion over the pervious year's level, at a growth rate of 25%. These figures give some hope of realizing the aspired leap in this domain at satisfactory rates.

Third:
Reducing steadily unemployment rates. Nothing is more painful than to see a group of Egypt's promising youngmen unable to find a decent job that preserves their dignity and guarantees them a role, a share in improving the community. Hence, countering unemployment should be at the top of our national goals for the coming years. Although unemployment rates have fallen from 9.3% in 1990/91 to 8.2% this year, such reduction does not satisfy our legitimate ambition. Thus, the state will work hand in hand with producers in all fields for constantly reducing such rates by completing proejcts. Over Egypt, especially medium and small-scale enterprises, those of the youths as well as other projects financed and sponsered by the Social fund spread all over the country.

Fourth:
It should be implanted into public consciousness that the community, with all its official and national bodies, is keen on protecting and insuring its interests of the working class.

Failing this, the development process will be rendered short of its most essential component, which guarantees sustainability, stability and social legitimacy of the process.

In application of this principle, criteria and rules adopted in implementing the privatization programme for some public sector companies were Clearly and decisively indicative of the community's committment to the rights and interests of workers. The fulfillment of this committement has been reflected in many forms ranging from selling whole companies to in-service workers allocating to staff a specific quota of the Shares of Other companies to the voluntary application of an early pension system. The latter is funded by earmarking one-third of the sale proceeds of Public Enterprise Sector companies to this system besides restructuring delinquent companies and financing special corporate insurance funds.

In spite of its determination to continue to refrom administrative machinery the state also keenly seeks to raise civil servants salaries on a regular basis within possible limits. It was not an easy task for the government to double salaries and wage 10 times over 16 years. Nevertheless, funds earmarked for this purpose have risen from LE 2.3 billion in 1981 to LE 24.5 billion this year. Nor was it easy for the government to adopt a policy of regular and steady income raises for civil servants by offering social and periodical increments far beyond inflation rates.

On the other hand, the field of social insurance has witnessed great development in sustaining insurance protection of workmen. The number of the insured workmen has reached 16.8 million and that of pensioners has totalled 6.4 million, in addition to 700,000 beneficiaries of Sadat's pension and social security pension. The total cost of pensions is some L.E 9.3 billion annually , of which the state funds the greatest portion.

The protectionist privileges that workmen enjoy are not only those direct, but they include other fields in which workmen and their dependents benefit from them in an indirect way, such as the projects of developing education and vocational training, the project of youth housing that costs L.E. 2.7 billion, of which the state funds land and infrastructure costs in addition to subsidizing the interest by reducing it to 5% for 40 years of soft repayment.

There is also the project of limited-income class housing which is considered a major bridge between the different classes and a direct support from rich classes to poor classes, as the rich fund some 50% of its total costs, while the state finances the rest through long-term loans.

Fifth:
There is another challenge that Egypt's workmen will not hesitate to address and face faithfully, whole-heartedly and patriotically, as the society has ranked them on the top and granted them unlimited confidence and care.

This challenge makes it incumbent on labour organisations to pay due attention to deepening the sense of dedication to work as a basic social value, not only as a lawful mean of subsistence but also as an element necessary for good performance by man of his mission on Earth.

All this requires the Egyptian worker to abide to the utmost by discipline and seriousness in his work and to exert the best of his effort, show respect for time value, disseminate new ethics of work, take the initiative of performing one's tasks in parallel with demanding his rights, and be keen on achieving the hightest levels of quality and required specifications for goods and services.

In addition, it is necessary, in this era in which progress is correlated with human development, that trade-union organisations, on all central and local levels, should train their members and enable them to acquire new skills to cope with the developments of modern technology, and enable them to gain information needed for upgrading their work. All these considerations should be adopted as among the invariable factors of the workman's life.

This does not mean that the whole burden of training and retraining must be shouldered by workmen and their trade unions. In this respect, the employers in turn are also required to play their role, as this role fulfills a dual interest, for both individuals and the whole society.

In addition, the State, on its part, assumes part of this responsibility; it actually assumes it through paying attention to vocational and transformational training on the national level, in order to bridge the gap between the worker's capabilities and skills gained through education and the variable needs of employment market. This requires paying due attention to on- going retraining of fresh graduates.

In this respect, it suffices to say that the State has allocated L.E. 882 million ( in the current 5-year plan) for setting up and modernizing training centres, of which L.E. 145 million was allocated to this year and L.E. 162 million to the next year.

The society must remain aware of the fact that the cornerstone of any reform or renaissance is the continual modernisation and development of basic education, modernizing curricula, qualifying students and teachers, introducing modern technologies so as to provide a qualified generation of graduates able to deal with the language of the era, build up a strong society capable of standing the test of competition and challenge.

When we talk about education, our minds have to be focused on a more comprehensive system that includes housekeeping, scientific research, modern technology, training, maximizing the benefit of the media, and the contribution of religious call to upgrading the behaviour of young people and forming value system.

We have made a notable progress in this field; over recent years, we have set up 8500 modern schools equipped with up-to-date facilities. In next September, we will have 8 million pupils in the basic education level (in 11,500 schools equipped with computers, multimedia and modern laboratories). Those pupils will be capable of using international information networks. These comprehensive reforms have resulted in an increase in this sector's budget from L.E. 940 million in 1981/82 to L.E. 14.8 billion in this year.

Sixth:
On top of the challenges we will face in the coming years, is the control of overpopulation at low rates, so as to keep intact our achievements for which we have offered great sacrifices, to sustain our fearless march that we have started.. and so as not to let the Egyptian society evolve in vicious circles and avoid the progress already made being gradually eroded by annual population growth I reiterate, it is required to continually reduce population growth rate to secure levels, thus becoming a positive and influential factor in successfully achieving rather than aborting or impeding progress and awakening. The dimensions of this challenge will be more clearly manifested when we recall that in 1947 our population which was 18.9 million, rose to 36.6 million in 1976 and leapt to 61.5 million in 1996. We cannot continue to increase at this rate, which is partly due to a decrease in mortality rate, as a result of improving health care level.

All these considerations require us to seriously and strictly redouble our efforts to control population growth and to work, by all means to reduce this rate so as to around or below 1.8% per year, in order to maintain the interests of every Egyptian family and the Egyptian community as a whole.

It remains to be pointed out that the State is interested in enacting a new labour legislation conforming with the new conditions. I have instructed the government to examine the draft labour law which is being carefully prepared, in order to ensure a balanced and well-knit legislation that would serve its desired objectives without encroachment or injustice. This will require canvassing the opinions of all institutions and bodies concerned. These institutions must abide by the basic rule that we have all engrained into the philosophy of rule and the control of relationships between all classes and categories, namely: avoiding any practices that would bring about any essential contradictions or subversive conflicts between classes and faith in the oneness of common interest.

Dear Brothers and Sisters
As we are embarking into a new era on all levels; it is incumbent on us to reinforce our march along the road to revival and development valiantly, high-spiritedly, armed with all instruments required for such a battle and this challenge. The time has come again for us to proceed national work and excrsion and none of us will refrain from answering the call of duty for the homeland or hesitate to engage into the battle of sacrifice.

In this arena, our weapon is the firm unwavering faith that our hopes and aspirations are quite lawful and indisputably fair and we should not allow into our minds any frustration or fear as regards such aspirations.

We should be also armed with a piercing insight, whereby we would not miss the target or the road, or overlook the right priorities of required national work, in each phase, in defence of the high interests of Egypt.

We should be further armed with a firm awareness of the nature of age and realities of the new world, where survival is for the fittest and most knowledgeable. It is a war, where the best and most just are the winners of the race, where the power of intellect and creativity rule supreme over factors of physical power and natural resources.

Moreover, we should be armed with a firm belief, whereby we can meet the fierce challenges, surmount the most complex barriers and obstacles, with the help of science, endeavour, patience, perserverance and persistence to achieve target.

We should be, additionly armed with decisive determination to preserve social solidarity, cohesion of national texture in the light of a new social charter, free of any trace of feud, conflict or contradiction between various classes of the people. It should rather enhance cooperation and solidarity, based on the unity of interest and destiny and a firm recognition that we are all sailing in one and the same boat, with no distinction between the rich, poor, powerful or weak.

Thanks to Allah and with His overwhelming grace, we are witnessing task forces of reconstruction, basicly engaged in blessed and untiring endeavours to spread out prosperity and growth all over the soil of Egypt, from the good earth of Sinai in the extreme northeast, to Toshka and al-Owainat to the extreme south across other integrated urban projects.

No spot of Egypt's land has been left beyond the circle of awakening. These are even wiping away traces of neglect and deprivation from areas which have remained for centuries inaccessible to renovation or modernisation.

We can see millions of honest Egyptian workers forging their sacred way in factories and farms, powerfully and undauntingly opening the way to the future with their daring minds and youthful strength. They have, thus proved to be the honest custodians of the greatest civilization and most sublime heritage.

We do watch this great endeavour and creative work at a time when every Egyptian, irrespective of his position, shoulders his share of responsibility and maintains his place on the chart of national performance, giving renewed oath to give without limits, to offer before taking, giving utmost priority to the homeland and keeping its banner hosted high among the world.

Towards those noble goals, Egyptian masses proceed with sure steps, self-assured hearts and open minds. In this context criticism is welcome and free expression is allowed. Responsible freedom and proper democracy is glorified, where a strict balance is maintained between rights and obligations, permissible and unpermissible limits, freedom is not allowed to turn into anarchy, nor democracy is allowed to turn into hegemony of a single class over another.

Furthermore, no encroachment is allowed in the controls set by the community for conserving social mobility.

Greetings are due for the dutiful workers of Egypt, who have given the most noble examples of self-denial and impartial devotion in the service of and continuous endeavours for the sake of the homeland, in defence of Egypt's right and the interests of the masses.

May Allah bless you all, guide and make stable your steps .
Allah's Peace and Mercy be upon You.


	Print this page Mail this page