The project, which will last from 2018-2024, is valued at US$11.8 million, with a contribution of $8.1 million by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and US$3.6 million by the Egyptian government. Hayenna will be implemented in Qena and a second governorate to be determined during the project’s inception phase. The main project partners are the Ministry of Housing’s General Organization for Physical Planning and UN-Habitat.
Hayenna will provide training to enhance the capacities of 300 state sector employees at the municipal level and 50 state sector employees at the national level. They will be trained on transparent and integrated urban planning and development including effective land management and design. Hayenna will also train them on improved local public finance management through application of the betterment levy, a tax collected on land that is rising in value due to public infrastructure investments.
Among the state sector staff benefitting from Hayenna project are employees of the Ministries of Finance and Planning, The General Organization for Physical Planning, The Land Survey Authority, and the Real Estate Publicity Department.
Hayenna will improve the living conditions of some 60,000 citizens living in the four targeted areas of the project that will undergo more formal and transparent urban development planning, rise in land value and resultant improved public services. Hundreds of jobs are expected to be formalized or newly created through the project as small and medium private sector activities in the targeted inner city areas are expanded.
“Switzerland has implemented a series of successful sustainable projects in Upper Egypt in recent years. Together with Egypt’s Ministry of Housing and UN-Habitat, we are looking forward to working with yet another Upper Egyptian governorate, Qena, this time to improve its urban development. We are proud to launch Hayenna project which will improve the living conditions of more than 60,000 Egyptians,” said Paul Garnier, the Ambassador of Switzerland to Egypt.
In addition to its core goals, Hayenna’s activities and achievements will also support ongoing efforts to improve the legal and institutional frameworks related to urban development at the national level. The urban designs for the sites under the project will also aim to ensure safety for Qena’s citizens through better and safer planning of public areas, market spaces, and street lighting.
Hayenna will also be coordinated with UN-Women which is working on promoting safe cities and ensuring that women and girls are able to participate freely in public affairs and engage in economic development activities.
For more information please contact: Iman Radwan, Senior Programme Officer, Telephone: 02 2575 8284; Shaimaa Fayed, Communications Officer, Telephone: 02 2575 8284
