Egypt’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) signed with Swiss embassy in Cairo an MOU to support e-waste recycling industry in Egypt.
This comes in light of the ministry’s plan to boost its contribution to sustainable development policies and economic growth.
The ministry aims to achieve this through encouraging eco-friendly communication and information technology investments, and enhancing sustainable e-waste recycling, management of national foundations and policies. It will work as well on raising awareness of “eco-friendly communication and information technology”, as it will aim to build professional skills and calibers in the field.
The signed MOU targets maximising e-waste sustainable management, recycling and usage, as a secondary resource for raw materials. It focuses, as well, to support SMEs, and increase benefits of valuable metals extracted from e-waste. It focuses on placing standards, policies and laws to develop incentive mechanisms, enhance producers’ sustainable obligation, develop youth incubators, and build programmes specialized in heightening skills and talents. It includes, as well, developing a validation system for the e-waste recycling companies, and drafts a bill on e-waste sustainable management.
The MOU’s implementation time limit is 2 years ending December 31st, 2017 –during which the Swiss government is gratified to fund projects.
This agreement contributes to realizing the “Eco-friendly CIT” programme adopted by ministries of CIT and Environment, since 2010.
On top of the programme’s objectives comes the aim to direct CIT to preserve the environment, increase social engagement and awareness through connecting power, environment and CIT, to face the serious challenges presented by climate change.
CIT applications played an effective role in overcoming several eco challenges in Egypt, like using phone apps to monitor burning rice husk. Among these, as well, are water and power resources smart optimization by remote sensors, and reduction of car emissions through transport apps.
The ICT Infrastructure Director Eng. Khaled El-Attar -representing MCIT- and Swiss Ambassador to Egypt, Marco Leitner conclusively signed the MOU.
