Digital Transformation in Egypt.. Between Ambitions and Challenges Emad

The world is witnessing an unprecedented acceleration towards digitization. Technology is no longer just an auxiliary tool; it has become the basis for managing business, services and daily life. Egypt, like other countries, announced years ago its ambitious project for digital transformation and launched many initiatives and electronic platforms under the umbrella of “Digital Egypt (making up for our delay since 1981 in linking the national ID number to all the information of each citizen). However, practical reality reveals that this transformation, despite its importance, faces challenges that must be acknowledged and worked on to overcome; the practical experience of some investors, for example, shows that the procedures for founding companies, which used to be completed on paper in three days at the Investment Authority in Cairo, now take thirty days when dealt with online, which reflects a gap between the declared goal – facilitation and speed – and the actual result. The internet and communications infrastructure also still needs deeper development, especially since weak networks and slow service in many areas obstruct the transactions of individuals, litigants, investors and banks alike. (And we hear the phrase the system is down.) No less important is the question of training and qualifying the human cadres working on the electronic systems. The absence of sufficient training makes digital platforms a burden instead of a means of facilitation. Perhaps the biggest challenge is the need for transparency and realism in evaluating what has actually been achieved on the ground so far, so that achievement is measured not by the number of platforms announced but by how easy and efficient the service the citizen or investor receives is. Here the question arises whether the government has actually reviewed the efficiency of the networks and the internet and the tools required for implementation before launching new platforms. We know it is a noble goal delayed for years, but will the Ministry of Communications announce and disclose its real capabilities on the ground? Instead of the official saying everything is fine, sir. I believe the government is responsible for follow-up to achieve its goals of providing the fastest and best secure and documented service to the citizen. Here we must look to ensure:

1. Developing the communications and internet infrastructure continuously and gradually, giving priority to the areas suffering from weak service. We know the cost and the efforts made, but they are not enough.
2. Re-simplifying the procedures of electronic services to ensure less time and effort, with periodic review of the existing systems.
3. Expanding training programmes for employees and linking them to incentives and promotions, so as to ensure the readiness of the human element for digital transformation.
4. Opening the field to the private sector and start-ups to offer innovative solutions that help accelerate digitization.
5. Announcing transparent performance indicators that show public opinion the extent of achievement and the shortcomings, which strengthens trust and ensures wider participation by society. Digital transformation is no longer an option but an inevitable necessity to attract investment, improve government services and simplify the citizen’s life. Egypt has the human and scientific capabilities that qualify it for success, but success will only be complete through frank and honest confrontation of the challenges and serious work to overcome them, in a spirit of realism and responsibility.