Egypt’s Central Statistical Agency and World Bank Discuss Strengthening Collaborative Efforts

Egypt’s Central Statistical Agency and World Bank.

Major General Engineer Akram Ahmed El-Gohary, Head of the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS), welcomed a delegation from the World Bank during their current visit to Egypt. The meeting was also attended by Major General Engineer Tawfiq Abdel Rahim Qandil, Deputy Head of CAPMAS, along with several agency leaders.

This meeting is part of ongoing efforts to enhance collaboration and support the development of statistical work.

Representing the World Bank were Sandeep Mehta, Regional Practice Manager for the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan at the World Bank Group in Washington; Salman Al-Zaydi, Director of Global Practices in Poverty and Equity for the Middle East and North Africa at the World Bank; Dr. Iman Helmy, Senior Economist at the World Bank; and Miguel Eduardo Sanchez, Senior Economist for countries and Program Leader at the World Bank.

This marks the first meeting between the World Bank delegation and the head of CAPMAS since he assumed his position. The discussions centered on ways to enhance collaborative efforts and support CAPMAS’s priorities for the upcoming period, within the framework of a longstanding partnership with the World Bank and coordination with the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development through a work program based on CAPMAS’s needs for technical support in priority areas.

Both parties emphasized during the meeting the importance of continued cooperation to improve statistical work and strengthen institutional capacities within CAPMAS. They reviewed several ongoing activities under their collaborative program, particularly technical support in preparation for the 2027 population census. This will involve leveraging best practices and international expertise in utilizing digital administrative data while enhancing integration between traditional census methods, digital administrative records, and self-counting techniques to improve statistical data production.

The meeting also addressed efforts to develop a national strategy for statistics, which will be presented to the higher committee for approval. This aims to ensure that Egypt’s national statistical system keeps pace with rapid technological advancements while enhancing data production efficiency.

Extensive discussions were held regarding mechanisms to strengthen and develop joint relations between both sides, reaffirming the World Bank’s support for all ongoing and future activities under its cooperation program with CAPMAS. This aims to contribute to achieving sustainable development goals and improving Egypt’s statistical work system.

In conclusion, both parties reiterated their commitment to continued coordination and joint collaboration while supporting technical teams to ensure optimal outcomes in shared projects and programs.