Dr. Manal Awad, Minister of Local Development, announced the allocation of a dedicated investor service window in the Red Sea Governorate and several other governorates within technological centers affiliated with the Investor Licensing Administration in governorate offices. This initiative aims to expedite investors’ access to required services, support the investment environment, facilitate procedures, and enhance the economy’s ability to attract foreign direct investment, in line with Egyptian state directives.

This announcement followed the minister’s review of a report from the General Directorate of Internal Audit and Governance regarding field visits conducted by a team to technological centers in the Red Sea Governorate, including North Hurghada District, Safaga City Center, South Hurghada District, Hurghada City Center, Marsa Alam City Center, El Quseir City Center, and the governorate’s main office.

The report detailed meetings held by the audit and governance team, led by Dr. Mohamed Allam, Director General, with citizens visiting the technological centers, monitoring the quality of services provided across various daily files and transactions. It also included assessments of the centers’ material and human resources, logistical equipment such as computers, printers, storage units, scanners, internet speed, and staff numbers.

The delegation included a member of the Supreme Committee for Public Shops Licensing to follow up on the system’s implementation status, the number of applications submitted by shop owners, identify obstacles, and expedite processing.

The governance team reviewed progress rates and the execution status of files related to building violations reconciliation, engineering departments, revenues, advertisements, encroachments, public shops licensing, citizen services, roads, and other service files.

The report highlighted measures taken to resolve issues faced by citizens met during visits to the technological centers in the Red Sea Governorate. It emphasized the need for backend administrations to promptly complete requested services within legal deadlines without delay and to follow up on applications to ensure citizen satisfaction.

It also noted an increase in the completion rates of ongoing requests in the visited technological centers, ranging from 74% to 100% in some centers. The Minister directed continuous follow-up with the governorate’s executive bodies to finalize all requests and achieve citizen satisfaction with all services.

Regarding the public shops licensing system, the ministry delegation, accompanied by Counselor Walid El-Boushi, member of the Supreme Committee for Public Shops Licensing, met with the governorate’s secretary-general, several district and center heads, and directors of relevant departments (reconciliation, legalization, changes, shops licensing). They listened to the challenges faced by system operators, reviewed the Supreme Committee’s decisions approved by the Prime Minister to facilitate licensing applicants, and responded to inquiries from city and district representatives.

Dr. Manal Awad directed the establishment of a service window for the public shops licensing system within technological centers to receive applications, respond to them, and accelerate workflow across the Red Sea Governorate centers. She also emphasized raising citizen awareness about the new government facilitations and overcoming any obstacles to support ministry efforts and related entities in implementing government directives in this vital file.

The report also mentioned that the ministry delegation visited several commercial shops, restaurants, and cafes in the governorate, educating owners about the Public Shops Law and urging them to quickly regularize their legal status through technological centers according to the law and regulations. While providing an opportunity for legalization, strict law enforcement will be applied against any violations.