The Egyptian Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait and the chief representative of the Japanese international cooperation Agency (JICA) Egypt Office, Kato Ken, has signed an executive agreement for concessional development financing of approximately JPY 44 billion to support the government’s efforts to provide comprehensive health coverage for Egyptian citizens.
During the signing ceremony Maait explained that this agreement with the JICA is a new impetus for the development cooperation process between Egypt and Japan, as it will help finalize the National Project for Comprehensive Health Insurance in Egypt – the main tool for health sector reform and integrated health care for all citizens at an appropriate price .
The agreement will help improve the quality of medical services to citizens and help complete the implementation of the new health insurance system over the next seven years, Maait said.
He added that the The comprehensive health insurance umbrella is planned to be expanded to the rest of the first-stage governorates – Suez, Aswan and South Sinai – before the end of the current fiscal year before expanding to the rest of the governorates .
Earlier, in Januarythe Japan International Cooperation Agency approved a $306 million loan to finance part of Line 4 of Egypt’s Cairo Metro.
The money will be used to build the first phase of Line 4 of the Cairo metro system. A route of 19 kilometers that runs between the center, the pyramids of Giza and the Grand Egyptian Museum.
Japanese systems and trains will also be used as part of the 40-year Official Development Aid Loan.
