Dr Ashraf hails quantum leap in Upper Egypt after "lagged behind"

Dr. Heba Ashraf, Lecturer of Economics at a Faculty of Economics and Political Science, said that Egypt is looking forward to catch up with the pace of development

Dr. Heba Ashraf, Lecturer of Economics at a Faculty of Economics and Political Science, said that Egypt is looking forward to catch up with the pace of development especially concerning Upper Egypt, rejecting the word “neglected” to describe the situation in South of Egypt governorates but preferring to use “lagged behind”. She stressed that it is common to arrange the capital and allocate the resources then start to look to the regions that have been behind to develop them in a more comprehensive way.

In a phone call with (Cairo Local Time), Ashraf noted that Upper Egypt has suffered for a long years from many problems some were naturally related to the environment, the climate, the geography, and others related to the allocation of resources and providing services to this area. The mix of these two issues, she stressed, created what we call the lag behind situation but she thought this is not the case nowadays.

She highlighted the inauguration of the new projects in Upper Egypt, declaring that Egypt is launching a comprehensive program that incorporates many fields that have not been tackled before. The services ; such as sanitation, health care, and education, were not efficient enough to support the people in these areas, she said, assuming that providing employment opportunities to people is as important as affording services.

You cannot make any development on the ground without promoting the human himself, he is the role player in this program, Dr. Heba Ashraf said, conveying that training of the human potentials that will be running these projects will be provided.

She concluded her words by stressing that enhancing the accessibility of citizens, not only to basic needs but also to services, will help serve enormously the goal of Upper Egypt Local Development Program (UELDP).

President Abdel Fattah El Sisi inaugurated many development projects in Upper Egypt within the "Week of Upper Egypt" activities that come as part of efforts by the state to achieve comprehensive development in the south of the country.