IT specialists propose technical report on Electronics Waste Management Administration in Egypt.
Daily News Egypt reports that proposals to address Egypt’s growing amount of e-waste have been made by IT specialists in the country, who are calling for a “comprehensive plan comprising all e-waste issues”.
The proposals come as sources estimate that “500,000 computers and accessories including calculators, printers and scanners, need to be recycled on [a] yearly basis” in Egypt, with Yehya Tharwat, President of Link Egypt claiming that the amount of e-waste being generated in the region is increasing as more people buy electronic equipment.
Tharwat reportedly added that the Ministry of Communication’s initiative to invest in electronic waste management “will open new gates for investment”, but that it is important for investors to be properly informed before deciding to invest.
Khalil Hassan Khalil, Director of the Computers Division at the Chamber of Information Technology (CIT) agreed, and emphasised that “responsibility for e-waste should be divided between several ministries, including the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and the Ministry of Communication”.
He added that the Egyptian government has not imported computers that are over five years old since 2007, and so the timing of the proposed report is “appropriate, if not late”.