KOICA Holds High-Level Stakeholder Briefing Ceremony on E-Procurement System in Egypt

In collaboration with the Egyptian Ministry of Finance and the General Authority for Government Services (GAGS) , the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), the official development aid agency of South Korea, conducted on Thursday a High-Level Stakeholder Briefing Ceremony regarding the E-Procurement System in Egypt. 

This ceremony is part of the ongoing initiatives under the project titled “The Enhancement of Public E-Procurement in Egypt,” which has a funding allocation of $7.9 million. This funding was officially announced during a bilateral summit held in January 2022 between former Korean President Moon Jae-in and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi. The project is set to span a period of six years.

The purpose of this ceremony is to advance the Egyptian government's e-procurement policies and systems among key ministries, public entities, relevant industries, and the citizens of Egypt, aligning with the objectives of ‘Egypt Vision 2030’ and ‘Digital Egypt.’

The event was graced by the presence of H.E. Mr. Ahmed Kouchuk, the Egyptian Minister of Finance; Mr. Won Sam Chang, President of KOICA; H.E. Mr. Kim Yong-Hyun, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Egypt; Mr. Mohamed Adel, Chairperson of GAGS; and Mrs. Jinyoung Kim, Country Director of KOICA Egypt Office. Additionally, representatives from five pilot governmental entities involved in the project were in attendance, including the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Housing, the Ministry of Health, Cairo Governorate, and Cairo University.

The ceremony began with a welcoming speech by Mr. Mohamed Adel, Chairman of the General Authority for GovernmentalServices who expressed his great enthusiasm for the implementation of this project, his hope to launch the pilot operation of the system in the first quarter of the next fiscal year on several entities that the Authority was keen to participate in the project implementation stages, then will be published gradually on all state entities subject to the provisions of the Public Contracting Regulation Law.

In his address, H.E. Ambassador Mr. Kim Yong-Hyon said “This project represents a significant leap toward enhancing transparency, efficiency, and accountability in public procurement processes”. He added, “By adopting advanced digital solutions, we can streamline operations and open avenues for greater participation from the private sector, which is vital for economic growth”.

From his side, KOICA’s president, Mr. Won Sam Chang said “Today, I would like to highlight the importance of KOICA’s partnership with Egypt, Korea’s only priority partner in development cooperation in the MENA region”. He added that “KOICA will do its utmost to share Korea’s experiences and best practices in e-procurement, to ensure the successful implementation of this system”. Mr. Chang praised the Egyptian Ministry of Finance and GAGS for their leadership in this project.

“This project is a testament to the strong ties between our two countries. It is a shining example of the power of collaboration to drive sustainable development and our mutual commitment to enhancing public service through innovative solutions.”, he concluded.

Meanwhile, Egyptian Minister of Finance Ahmed Kouchuk appreciated the cooperation with the Korean side in establishing an integrated system for public procurement and praised the Korean experts’ contribution to the project with the competent authorities in Egypt.

He reaffirmed that the Ministry of Finance is steadily advancing in the digital transformation journey and updating government work practices, maximizing efforts in governing the state's financial management system to contribute to achievingeconomic and developmental targets.

Furthermore, the KOICA Egypt Office’s Country Director, Mrs. Kim Jinyoung talked about KOICA’s vision, and how it supports the digital transformation of government services and systems.

During the event, GAGS and the Korean Project Managerexplained the system to the attendees through a presentation.

For their part, participants welcomed the upcoming system that would be expected to reduce cost and time, increase administrative efficiency, execute the government budget transparently, and contribute to revitalizing the public procure market.

KOICA is a Korean government agency under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs dedicated to implementing grant aid programs designed to combat poverty and support sustainable socio-economic growth in developing countries worldwide.

The KOICA Egypt Office, established in 1998, provides technical education for the Egyptian Youth, supports the digitalization of government services and systems, and carries out programs to address gender-based violence, strengthen women's empowerment, and support vulnerable groups.