New administrative capital: Prime Minister Dr Mostafa Madbouly held a meeting today at the government headquarters in the New Administrative Capital to review the status of measures to rationalise consumption of petroleum products in a number of government projects currently under way.

According to State Information Service Egypt, the meeting was attended by Field Marshal Engineer Kamel al-Wazir, Minister of Transport; Engineer Karim Badawi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources; and Engineer Randa El-Menshawy, Minister of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities. The Prime Minister initiated the session by highlighting the objective of reviewing projects marked for postponement or deceleration as part of an announced austerity plan to conserve petroleum products and ensure optimal energy resource utilization.

During the meeting, Field Marshal Engineer Kamel al-Wazir elaborated on the deferral of 20 road projects in line with the austerity plan. He emphasized that specific criteria were employed to select which road projects to postpone, while ensuring that projects nearing completion and those of strategic importance continue unabated.

Engineer Randa El-Menshawy reiterated her ministry's commitment to adhering to the list of projects designated for postponement. This step is part of the austerity plan aimed at reducing the import bill amidst the prevailing global crisis.

Engineer Karim Badawi confirmed his ministry's efforts to meet the essential petroleum product requirements for productive projects and citizen consumption. He mentioned that the government has implemented consumption-saving measures to address the impacts of regional tensions, with detailed monitoring in place to ensure these measures effectively reduce import dependence and alleviate the state budget.

Concluding the meeting, Dr Mostafa Madbouly instructed the establishment of a permanent coordination mechanism among relevant ministries to closely follow the austerity plan's outcomes. He emphasized that these measures are intended to prioritize needs in accordance with current economic challenges, while ensuring that basic citizen services and the state's development trajectory remain unaffected.