Egyptian leather trade earmarked for Euro-sponsored aid
The leather trade is one of several that been identified by the Egyptian government as being ripe for development under the European Partnership Agreement – an initiative aimed at modernising Egyptian industry and giving Egyptian goods greater access to European Union markets.
Speaking at a ministerial committee meeting in Cairo last week, Minister of Information Safwat al-Sharif said it was now imperative that priorities were set under the modernisation scheme, if the target figure of 1500 factories upgraded per year was to be achieved.
The minister also said the programme will initially focus on spurring development in the leather, textile spinning and engineering industries. At the same meeting, the committee reviewed working papers on the creation 10 training industry centres and the criteria under which European businesses will be considered eligible to take part in the modernisation scheme.
