The creation of new job opportunities for Egyptian youth should not be considered the government's responsibility alone but should also fall to Egypt's private sector, Industry Minister Hatem Salah said at a Tuesday press conference.
Despite the current economic crisis, the state is still solvent and should work on job creation in partnership with the private sector," Saleh said.
The minister called on Egyptian young people to focus on production rather than political protest, stressing that the country's strong potential for economic development could only be achieved through mutual cooperation.
In an effort to enhance Egyptian industry and create employment opportunities, the government recently auctioned off 1000 plots of land for private industrial development.
Egypt's unemployment rate rose by 0.5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012 on the previous quarter to 13 percent, according to government statistical agency CAPMAS.
