President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has issued directives to hold local council elections at the beginning of next year, Local Development Minister Mahmoud Sharawi said on Friday.

The minister told Extra News TV channel that El-Sisi also ordered the establishment of an integrated and comprehensive system to end the garbage problem, noting that the cost of getting rid of the rubbish under the draft garbage law will hit EGP 7.7 billion.

Sharawi said that his ministry has prepared several studies to outline an integrated system to get rid of the garbage, adding that the door will be open for all companies to take part in the new system.

The new garbage law will be discussed by the House of Representatives, he said.

He also said that the president had ordered the formation of a committee responsible for checking the validity of cleaning equipment. 

Water and sanitation services will be delivered to 62 percent of Sohag’s villages within three years, he added.