Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (Egypt)
| 'MCIT' | |
MCIT Premises
|
|
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1 October 1999 |
| Jurisdiction |
 Egypt
|
| Headquarters | Smart Village Egypt |
| Minister responsible | |
| Website | www.mcit.gov.eg |
The Egyptian Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) is the government body responsible for information and communications technology (ICT) issues in the Arab Republic of Egypt. Established in 1999, MCIT is responsible for the planning, implementation and operation of government ICT plans and strategies. MCIT is led by the Minister of Communications and Information Technology, who is nominated by the Prime Minister and is a member of the cabinet. Current ICT Minister is Yasser ElKady who assumed position on 19 September 2015. MCIT is headquartered in Smart Village Egypt which is an ICT and business park. The park hosts other governmental authorities, local and multinational ICT companies, financial authorities and institutions, educational institutions and research and development centers.
In September 1999, former President Hosni Mubarak announced the inauguration of a national program to develop the information and communication technology sector in Egypt. The goals of the program were to foster the development of an information society in Egypt and stimulate the growth of a strong, competitive, vibrant, export-oriented ICT sector. The cornerstone of this program was the establishment of the ministry of, in October 1999, to lead these efforts.
MCIT, then headed by Ahmed Nazif, soon launched a national plan for communications and information technology, establishing projects and initiatives, including the Egyptian Information Society Initiative (EISI), geared to support and empower public-private partnerships to develop and expand telecommunications infrastructure; provide ICT access to all citizens; develop meaningful Arabic content; establish a large pool of trained ICT professionals to create and innovate; build a policy framework and support infrastructure to foster the growth of a powerful and competitive ICT industry; and leverage ICT to empower development in health, education, government, commerce, culture and other areas.
Egypt’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology was established to facilitate the country’s assimilation into the global information society. Its mandate is to support the development of the local ICT industry, thereby boosting exports and creating jobs, promoting the use of ICT nationwide as a means to achieve national development goals, and building the foundations of a knowledge society in Egypt—in close collaboration with other governmental, civil society and private sector entities.[3] Since its establishment, MCIT—in partnership with other government bodies, non-governmental organizations and the private sector—has worked to develop the foundational infrastructure and framework for an information society in Egypt. Following the conclusion of the Egyptian Information Society Initiative in 2006, MCIT initiated the 2007 - 2010 strategy with the objective of further restructuring the sector, developing a knowledge society and supporting the ICT industry with a focus on expanding exports of ICT products and services. According to the 2010 ICT Strategy, the ministry’s main priorities are to:
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