Good Governance in Egypt “Suggested areas for Improvement“

Dr. Mahmoud Gebril

Napoli May 17-21/2004

Good Governance

•There is no single definition of what “Good Governance”

is, as well as there are differences of opinion as to the

norms and criteria for its measurement.

•Values such as accountability, transparency, participation,

and equality are to some degree or another common in

literature and writings in that subject.

According to the World Bank:

•“Good Governance is exercising that authority in ways that respect the integrity, rights, and needs of everyone within the state”

• The good governance relations should be studied within a framework based on two global values of special importance in the Middle-East region, namely; Inclusiveness and Accountability.

•While Inclusiveness relies on mechanisms that define and respect the basic rights for all, Accountability relies on transparency and quality of information.

Source: “Better Governance for Development in the Middle East and North Africa”, Overview, p 6.

•Although the values of accountability and equality in

treatment under law are not alien to the culture and

heritage of the people of middle-eastern countries, it is

found that those countries are noticeably poor in that

regard and lie at the tail of the list (rating countries of the

world on good governance).

Evaluation of Good Governance in Egypt

• Accountability mechanisms are Missing in Egyptian government

performance. Consequently there exist multiples of modes of

corruption such as misuse of public funds, bribes, tax fraud,

misuse of power and authority, favoritism and ascription in

selecting government leaders and in providing government

services.

International Reports indicate the following:

• The bureaucratic establishment suffers from massiveness and

rigidity that frequently hinders attempts of modernization and

improvement, moreover the executive authority is severely

centralized.

• Lack of reliable statistical data, fuzziness of information and hiding

it from society.

• N.G.Os and civil society organizations are still inactive in political

and developmental activities. their role is still charitable at large.

Source: The Arab World Competitiveness Report 2002-2003Source: The Arab World Competitiveness Report 2002-2003

4.54.54444CorruptionCorruption

1.81.87575Red TapeRed Tape

4.74.73434Rule of LawRule of Law

3.13.14343Quality of GovernmentQuality of Government

ScoreScoreRankRank))out of 75 Countriesout of 75 Countries((  

EgyptEgypt

Source: Transparency International, Global Corruption Report 2004Source: Transparency International, Global Corruption Report 2004..

3.03.07878LEBANONLEBANON

4.34.35050GREECEGREECE

6.96.92323FRANCEFRANCE

3.33.37070EGYPTEGYPT

2.62.68888ALGERIAALGERIA

ScoreScoreRank (out of 133 Rank (out of 133 countries)countries)CountryCountry

Corruption Perceptions Index 2003Corruption Perceptions Index 2003

Source: World Bank.

Percentile Rank (0-100), 2002Percentile Rank (0-100), 2002

43.855.256.750.52736.4TURKEY

6761.353.671.65322.7TUNISIA

47.443.816.53338.95.6SYRIA

89.784.587.689.277.387.9SPAIN

58.259.355.261.339.540.4MOROCCO

76.88381.485.697.888.9MALTA

24.7184.61831.94.5LIBYA

45.95137.143.327.631.8LEBANON

76.375.883.580.47383.8ITALY

83.581.479.983.514.167.2ISRAEL

73.274.282.576.378.981.3GREECE

89.287.685.690.770.888.4FRANCE

47.957.738.146.934.122.2EGYPT

79.976.885.18357.877.3CYPRUS

31.435.13432.59.720.2ALGERIA

Control of CorruptionRule of LawRegulatory

QualityGovernment

EffectivenessPolitical Stability

Voice and AccountabilityCountry

The Transfer to the e-Government

In response to the need for adapting to global changes towards

knowledge-based societies, in attempt to bridge the digital gap, and

due to international pressure calling for democracy, participatory,

and good governance , the Egyptian government started its project

of delivering its services to individual citizens, business persons and

investors through the internet:

• In October 1999 the Ministry of Communication and Information was established.

• In July 2001 the electronic government project was officially started, it is expected to end by 2007. The project is implemented in

collaboration with Microsoft and Oracle in several directions as follows:

• To establish the Information Infrastructure, which encompass the laws and regulations that govern the different aspects of the electronic work.

• Establishing the government web site which represents the official portal for handling requests and delivering services.

• Some services were put into action such as payment of telephone and utility bills.

• Automation of government financial and administrative applications.

Which started by applications of the Ministry of Communication and

Information will be applied in other ministries and government offices.

• Development of local government services to reduce the need to travel

to the capital or to large cities, this initiative was started in the

Governorate of the Red Sea and in the Governorate of Alexandria.

• Establishing and updating economic and commercial databases.

• Encouraging the acquisition of PCs by families and individuals by

establishing a credit sale mechanism where installments are collected

in conjunction with the telephone bills for the benefit of PC selling

companies.

• In January 2004 Egypt’s Government Services Portal started officially offering information to tourists and receiving complaints,

payment of bills, acquiring official documents such as birth and death certificates, Ids, renewal of vehicle license, and the like.

• In April 2004 the law of electronic signature was passed by the Egyptian parliament.

• In May 2004, the high speed internet service was offered at a reduced price making it widely affordable by individuals and

companies.

• Facilitating the logging to the internet service for individuals and small companies.

• Investigating solutions for problems that face electronic payment since most Egyptians do not use credit cards.

Priorities for Intervention

Policy and system Oriented approach.

Strategic Grass- Rooted Cultural approach

Two broad areas for intervention:

Priorities

• The introduction of accountability mechanisms. Government officials should develop the feeling of being accountable to the society. There should be criteria for good governance that are in line with the culture.

• Transparency and quality of data, without these virtues, accountability shall be difficult to apply since weaknesses and deficiencies can not be exposed and corrective actions cannot be taken.

• Introduce major changes in the bureaucratic machine to facilitate the improvement efforts.

• Facilitate the establishment of non-governmental organizations and remove the obstacles facing their effective participation in social and economic developmental initiatives and in preparing the individuals for political participation.

• Continuous education and training should become an approved mechanism supported by the government for continual development of individuals for active participation in a knowledge-based society .

There are five priority items, which are more or less on the same level of significance:

At a more strategic level

The socialisation Process institutions

should be re - engineered and re - built.