Head of Engineering Industries Division in the Egyptian Industries Union, Mohammed El Mohandes revealed that, lack of trust in the Egyptian product is on top of difficulties that face industrial development, saying that the division is working to gain the consumer trust and attract him towards the local product, by upgrading its quality, confirming that, the domestic industries are able to cover the local market needs and can compete with international products.

He confirmed the importance of cooperation between sectors, by holding a lot of meetings between industrial chambers, and the ministry of Military Production to come up with products that will satisfy the customers.

He added that, re-running suspended factories and small workshops will be a great help in developing the industrial sector, establishing a high value and increasing exports’ rate. He said that the division is working to increase the local material in industries especially in cars, to reduce the dollar consumption, and there has been a great cooperation to achieve this idea.

He said that, the decision to increase fees on scrap paper and aluminum scrap is late but good in order to preserve the raw materials and use them in local industries instead of importing them, adding that this increase in fees came on requests from industrial chambers, but it was recently approved. He added that, the decision didn’t indicate how long this increase will last or what is its impact, stressing that, the smuggling operations of these scraps need to be stopped.

He confirmed that, honesty is the shortest way to persuasion, while meetings are held, decisions are made, and ways are discussed to develop the Egyptian industry, using the local materials, adding that, after tourism became unreliable as a source of income, other ways must be found, so everyone is focusing on industry to save the national economy