Cairo: Minister of Planning and Economic Development and Chairman of the National Investment Bank (NIB) Ahmed Rostom has underscored the state's firm commitment to restructuring the NIB to enhance its role in supporting Egypt's economic and social development plan. The restructuring aims to transform the bank into a vital institutional tool, leveraging its affiliated companies to contribute to new initiatives focused on employment, entrepreneurship, and startups.According to State Information Service Egypt, Rostom's comments were made during a board meeting he chaired, which included key figures such as Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Hussein Eissa and Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Mohamed Farid Saleh. The meeting reviewed ongoing efforts to restructure the NIB to maximize its function as the government's investment and development arm. Discussions centered on enhancing the efficiency of public investments and advancing digital integration between the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, the Ministry of Finance, and the NIB.The meeting also addressed proposals to increase returns on the bank's investments and support emerging investments in both companies and banks. The government seeks to expand the bank's role in improving public investment efficiency by coordinating closely with the ministries of planning and finance. This effort aligns with the shift toward program- and performance-based budgeting, ensuring financial allocations are tied to actual project execution rates.Rostom emphasized the need for necessary resources to upgrade the bank's information infrastructure and adopt the latest technologies. He highlighted that future plans to strengthen the NIB's role as a development arm align with presidential directives to achieve economic growth, improve economic conditions, and increase private sector participation in the national economy. The ultimate goal is to enhance citizens' living standards and quality of life in Egypt.The minister also stressed that a comprehen sive vision for economic and social development is in place to implement presidential directives. This vision prioritizes citizens' needs, with state projects based on feasibility studies, innovative financing tools, and effective partnerships to ensure sustainability and maximize developmental returns. Rostom noted that the approach involves developing a system for prioritizing projects, monitoring implementation, and evaluating impact, in line with directives from Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouli to adopt clear performance indicators. These measures aim to direct resources toward projects with the highest economic and social returns, improving the efficiency of projects under the national development plan.