Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi stated during the 30th Cultural Symposium of the Armed Forces on Sunday that protests and riots against the state represent a very serious issue for the security of Egypt, while also praising the completion of large development projects.
He explained that these protests in Egypt since 2011 are a “very strict” operation aimed at destroying and overthrowing the state.
“The magnitude of the loss caused by it is very high. And we’ll keep paying for it,” The president said, pointing out that these events have drained Egypt’s US$38 billion foreign currency reserves in just 18 months.
The president added that the state is carrying out massive projects at a cost of LE4 trillion, which will be completed by 30 June 2020, about half of which have already been completed and the rest close to completion.
Sisi affirmed that “the state is fighting terrorism, fighting, bleeding and working.”
Addressing the Ramses train station incident, Sisi said that the Civil Service Law sets out procedures to control performance and will be hold accountable any employee who uses drugs, dismissing them immediately from service. He added that all employees in all state facilities will be subjected to drug tests without exception.
Sisi also revealed that he nominated head of the Armed Forces Engineering Authority Kamel al-Wazir as the next minister of transport.
The President promised citizens to see modern utility in the railways by June 30th, 2020 and asked the army, police and other state authorities to help Wazir with modernizing Egypt’s railways.
For his part, Wazir said that the transport and railway facilities will be fully upgraded.
“We will confirm that we are sincere Egyptians,” he said, adding “God willing, the Ministry of Transport will be one of the best ministries and will lead development in the country.”
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
