Jakarta:North Sinai Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Sewilam and North Sinai Governor Khaled Megawer recently met to address the status of water projects in the governorate, with a particular focus on the licensing and regularization of groundwater wells.

According to State Information Service Egypt, the meeting resulted in an agreement to simplify the licensing procedures to better accommodate the unique circumstances of the governorate and to support its residents. The governorate will prepare an approved list of citizens who utilize the concerned lands, in collaboration with the relevant authorities, and submit it along with its consent to proceed with licensing.

The Ministry of Irrigation will issue temporary, renewable licenses for one year. The annual fees for these licenses will range from EGP 200 to EGP 1,000 per well, payable annually. Once the approved list is provided, residents will have one month to submit their licensing applications along with the necessary legal documents. The governorate will actively encourage applicants to complete this process within the given timeframe.

Additionally, the authorities agreed to collect any outstanding fees for the regularization of wells and resolve pending cases upon the completion of the process. Legal action will be taken against those who fail to comply with the new regulations.

Previously, from 2013 to 2022, North Sinai residents were exempted from groundwater well license renewal fees due to exceptional circumstances experienced by the governorate during that period.