An official in the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that mobile phone manufacturers have asked the Minister of Communications Yasser Al-Qadi to establish free zones in the technological zones under construction to build mobile phone factories.
The official said Al-Qadi will launch talks with the Minister of Industry and Trade and the Minister of Finance to discuss granting incentives for manufacturers in the Egyptian market. Establishing free zones in the technological areas will exempt manufactured components from customs duty.
The Ministry of Communications formed a commission entitled “Electronics Industry” at the end of last year. The commission is chaired by Hossam Osman and includes a number of electronics industry experts, academics, and non-governmental organisations. It will oversee the implementation of local electronics manufacturing initiative launched by President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi in December 2015 at the Cairo ICT 2015 Conference.
This short-term plan aims to develop five key industries, including mobile phone, GPS, LED bulbs, local production of screens, and solar power plants. The plan seeks to manufacture solar power plants’ components, such as solar panels, power transformers, and control devices, as well as smart electricity meters.
The Ministry of Communications has allocated EGP 361m in its fiscal year 2016/2017 budget to implement a three-year plan aiming to stimulate electronic manufacturing.
