The Minister of Investment, Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin, unveiled a project to set up 17 new agro-industrial clusters in a number of governorates, as part of President Mubarak's directives to expand in founding labor-intensive clusters to cater to residential clusters and create job openings for young Egyptians.

"Work is completed on 21 industrial zones in 7 governorates," said the minister as he, accompanied by Qalyubiya Governor, Adli Hussein, chairman of the General Authority for Investment (GAFI), Osama Saleh, and minister of trade and industry's representative, laid the foundation stone for a new agro-industrial cluster in Benha.

The 50-acre wide cluster will be a site for some 350 commercial and industrial establishments that caters to the type of crops in Qalyubiya.

"The zone will be providing 10,000 jobs for young people in Qalyubiya and will open new horizons for small and medium and labor-intensive enterprises," Dr. Mohieldin remarked.

The zone startup will concur with the completion of the regional road that connects Greater Cairo to Lower Egypt, offering flexible transportation and promoting trade.

Minister Mohieldin expressed appreciation to President Mubarak who has been giving directives to expand commercial and industrial projects linking them to the agricultural sector.

"The start was in Meet Ghamr and al Saf and today we are laying the foundation stone for an agro-industrial cluster in Benha," Minister Mohieldin stated.

“These clusters differ from other industrial zones because they are constructed near residential clusters and within farmlands, thus attracting workers in an easier manner. They also utilize the agricultural products in the governorate," the minister added.

Minister of trade and industry's representative, Hani Barakat, chairman of Egypt's Organization for Standardization & Quality Control (ESO), said Minister of Trade and Industry, Rachid Mohamed Rachid, is supporting the new cluster by building a worker's training and quality improvement center, a center for standardizations and quality control and a third one for marketing activities at the domestic and world levels.
            
Hussein said they have started building agricultural, industrial and commercial clusters a while ago and this resulted in launching several projects that will come on stream shortly.

He said young people were encouraged to start business on farmlands such as slaughterhouses and fruit storage and exportation refrigerators.

"The Benha project is a new integrated one that will offer more jobs for young people and open the gateways for development across the governorate," Governor Hussein added.

Moreover, Dr. Mohieldin and Governor Hussein laid the foundation stone for a new tumor center in Benha to offer services to all Middle Delta governorates and not only Qalyubiya.

El Masry Foundation for Community Service is set to contribute to the project funding with EGP 35 million.

Benha University President, Dr. Mohamed Safwat Zahran, said the tumor center is headquartered in the city of Benha, facing the hospital, in an area of 10,000 meters.