Reaching the grassroots
Cairo and Washington are set to review next week means of maximising the gains from US economic assistance programmes to Egypt, writes Soha Abdelaty
Egyptian-American relations have withstood several tests in the past few months, ranging from the trial of prominent sociologist Saadeddin Ibrahim to US policy towards Israel and Iraq, and, more recently, the airing of the television series Horseman Without a Horse last month, which Israel claimed is anti-Semitic.
Each dispute triggered rumours that the US administration will be reconsidering the approximately $2 billion in assistance it gives Egypt annually. Meanwhile, officials from both sides say not only is there no threat to the existing US aid programme, plans are being studied to enhance it.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation Fayza Abul-Naga begins a six-day visit to the US next Saturday, during which she will be meeting State Department officials involved in the assistance programmes, National Security Adviser Condoleeza Rice, numerous congressmen, senators and members from American think tanks, as well as officers from the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
The main issue on the agenda, according to Egyptian officials, is to find ways to improve the US assistance programme to Egypt, not to seek consolidation for the existing assistance being provided to Egypt. "The US administration has confirmed at every occasion that it [the assistance programme] will not be affected at all. All that is circulating are rumours," Abul-Naga told Al- Ahram Weekly prior to her departure. "But we have asked the US administration to review the philosophy of the assistance programme."
The Egyptian government believes the average Egyptian does not feel the benefits of the aid given by the US. "There is a huge public opinion debate on the extent to which Egypt benefits from the programme," Abul-Naga said, adding that this does not mean there have been no benefits accrued from the programme.
The problem lies in the programme's components and the nature of the projects it is invested in. These projects "do not directly touch the average Egyptian's life", Abul-Naga said. An example of a more rewarding endeavour, said Abul-Naga, is a Swiss-funded project to provide sewage systems to 15 of the poorest villages across Egypt. The minister recalled how the village people were saying "Switzerland brought us this," during her visit to these villages.
The Egyptian government also has concerns about the conditions of the assistance programme. The cost of American expertise accompanying the projects is just one example. Egyptian officials said they are going to Washington with clear suggestions of ways to improve the aid programme.
The US administration has so far been receptive to the idea. In light of 11 September and as part of its efforts to improve its image across the Arab and Islamic worlds, the US government "now realises the necessity of re-evaluating the assistance programme", one Egyptian official said.
"They also feel that, despite the fact that Egypt receives the second largest US aid programme, the average citizen does not feel the value of this assistance," Abul-Naga told the Weekly.
The US assistance programme began in 1975 in the form of loans, developing into a grant programme in 1982. It has three main components: a programme for commodity imports valued at $655 million for 2002, a programme for cash transfers worth $200 million for the same year and a remaining $250 million for projects in various sectors.
