The Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development, Hon. Eng. Charles L. Milupi, MP, recently welcomed Her Excellency Mrs. Mayada Essam, Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the Republic of Zambia, at Infrastructure House.
The Minister acknowledged Egypt’s significant contributions to global discussions on urban development, particularly through its leadership at the 2024 World Urban Forum. This forum has provided a valuable platform for fostering closer collaboration between Zambia and Egypt.
“A notable outcome of the World Urban Forum is the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between our Ministry and the Social Housing and Mortgage Finance Fund of Egypt. This MOU will pave the way for enhanced partnerships between Zambian and Egyptian developers, as well as financiers, in housing and infrastructure projects,” said Hon. Milupi.
A New Era of Cooperation
The MOU aims to:
– Foster Technical Cooperation: Enhance housing finance and investment cooperation between the two countries.
– Promote Affordable Housing-Develop mass affordable, decent, and green housing initiatives.
– Facilitate Knowledge Sharing-Transfer technology, build capacity, and share knowledge within the housing sector.
“Zambia has prioritized the rehabilitation and development of critical yet commercially viable infrastructure using the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. We invite Egypt’s private sector to explore investment opportunities in Zambia, particularly through PPPs,” Hon. Milupi added.
Mutual Benefits
Her Excellency Mrs. Essam stated, “Egypt looks forward to President Hakainde Hichilema’s visit, where a business forum will be held to explore infrastructure projects in Zambia. We are also interested in investments in the Lobito corridor to facilitate trade.”
This strengthened cooperation between Zambia and Egypt is expected to bring mutual benefits, addressing common challenges and achieving shared goals in infrastructure development.