Page 4 - Issue-47

ELITE
Vol.1, Issue 47, September 2022 ELITE

Dr. Hana Khair El-Din - may God have mercy on her - I remained in that position until the January 25
Dr. Naglaa Al-Ahwany and Dr. Samiha Fawzy. Of revolution, and at that time, Dr. Fayza Abul-Naga is
course, I remember Dr. Naglaa Al-Ahwani's discussion the Minister of International Cooperation and I had the
with me, and she was one of the jury members for my honor to work with her after the revolution, when the
master's thesis. My relationship with the two Ministries of International Cooperation and Planning
professors later continued in the field of work. When I were merged. After that, I traveled to Kuwait to work
joined the ministry, Dr. Najla Al-Ahwany, Advisor to there for several months. And when I returned on
the Prime Minister, and until now we are both vacation was the formation of a government d. Hisham
members of the Board of Directors of the Central Qandil and I talked to d. Fayza told me that she would
Bank, and also Dr. Samiha Fawzy worked with her nominate me to take over the ministry after her, and
upon my return from the doctoral mission in the that was in August 2012. It was of course a difficult
United States, within the framework of the government period, but I worked in the ministry until the
of Dr. Ahmed Nazif was d. Samiha at that time, First ministerial reshuffle in May 2013. I was preparing for
Assistant Minister of Industry, Engineer Rashid my return to Kuwait, but after that the June 30
Muhammad Rashid. Dr. Samiha had a personality that revolution and the formation of the ministry of Dr.
combined science and knowledge, wit, decisiveness Hazem Al-Beblawi, I was informed of my choice as
and seriousness. I also remember Dr. Ahmed Youssef Minister of Planning again. So, of course, it is a
from the Department of Political Science, who liked nervous and different period, and I am already
me in the Department of Political Science, in addition, considered one of the few who headed ministries in
several different regimes, not just periods. I served in
of course, to Dr. Hazem Hosni. title
the ministry under three presidents of the republic and
You assumed the planning portfolio in light of four different heads of government. But I am very
proud that, despite the multiplicity of systems and
exceptional political and economic circumstances directions during which I assumed the ministry, I did
from 2012 to 2017, how can you evaluate this not do any work in the ministry contrary to my
important experience and the challenges you faced? convictions.
After I returned from my doctoral scholarship in mid-
2004, and that mission was affiliated with the National The name "planning" is always associated with the
Planning Institute, after I was appointed as a teaching socialist era, and the institute and the ministry are
assistant at the institute, and I owed that shift in my remnants of that era. What are the new roles that
career path to Dr. Ismail Sabry, as he was the one who the ministry and the institute play in order to play
nominated me to Dr. Kamal Al-Ganzouri at that time. their role in our capitalist context?
Dr. Ismail was an encyclopedist and knowledgeable to Of course, this is one of the misconceptions, which is
an impressive degree, and I remember that he used to the link between planning and socialism, although we
write an article in Al-Ahali newspaper every teach that even in the courses, which is the multiplicity
Wednesday under the title “Words and Meanings” and of planning methods, there is central planning where
he would ask me about my opinion, and I, of course, the state plans and implements and the state owns all
was impressed by that because I was still young and a the companies and this central type no longer exists
recent graduate, but I remember his word in particular: anywhere because of its failure even In countries
You are my most important reader because you The currently classified as socialist countries.
first of them. Therefore, Dr. Ismail gave me great We find that, on the contrary, the importance of
confidence in myself in the truth of the matter, and he planning increases in the light of the market economy,
had a rare library that was given to the Institute after but it is indicative planning, where the state gives
his death, and I often went to it and read its books. signals to the market, and it is a type of planning that
Was Dr. Ismael is the one who introduced me to Dr. requires the state to set clear goals and plans, such as
Kamal Al-Ganzouri to appoint me to the institute, and those included in the Egypt Vision 2030 document.
one of his goals was to join the mission, because of Then the question becomes how do the goals translate
course the opportunity is greater in the institute due to into actions? And that is by providing the market with
the smaller number compared to universities. those signals that we talked about. Thus, indicative
The important thing is when I came back, as I said, I planning tools are completely different from the other
worked with an engineer. Rasheed and Dr. Samiha at type. We actually find this in any capitalist country,
the Ministry of Industry in addition to my work at the even if there is no ministry, institute or official agency
Institute. Then it followed that Dr. Majed Othman, for planning, but the general plan of the state always
who was the head of the Information and Decision exists, especially in light of the broad concept of
Support Center in the Council of Ministers at the time development, which is no longer limited to economic
- and we had worked together before on the first indicators such as investment and others, but also
population report - and he also offered me to work includes society, environment and sustainable
with him in the center. It followed that Dr. Othman development.
Mohamed Othman - and he was one of the members of
the committee that appointed me to the institute in
addition to his being the Minister of Planning at that
time - offered me a job in the Ministry of Planning, so
I became between teaching at the institute, the Faculty
of Economics at Cairo University, the Information
Center, the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of
Planning during that period. This period played an
important role in introducing me to government work
and also gave me confidence in myself. Then the next
shift was that I was appointed Director of the Office of
Back the Minister of Planning, Dr. Othman Muhammad
Back
Othman at the beginning of 2006.
To FEPS 2
To FEPS
To FEPS