CAIRO, March 3, 2014
In one of his first official meetings since being sworn in, His Excellency Prime Minister Ibrahim Mehleb welcomed a high-level delegation from the Coca-Cola Company led by Ahmet Bozer, President of Coca-Cola International, and attended by the newly-appointed Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour, General Manager of Coca-Cola Egypt, Omar Mandour, and Omar Mohanna, Chairman of Egypt-US Business Council.
"The Coca-Cola Company has been a fixture in Egypt for over 70 years and their presence here says Egypt is open for business," said the Prime Minister.
"We are firmly committed to the future of Egypt", said Bozer,"and together with our bottling partners we will maintain our commitment by investing a further USD 500 million over the next three years, in capital expenditure and other commercial and community programs".
Coca-Cola and its bottling partner, the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Egypt, directly employ 12,000 Egyptians and provide indirect employment for another 144,000 throughout the value chain. The Company's community programs include the Egypt Livelihood Program under which Coca-Cola will refurbish 100 rural villages by 2020, upgrading infrastructure and providing clean water access to tens of thousands of rural Egyptians.
Minister Abdel Nour thanked Mr. Bozer for the Company's vote of confidence and noted the role of free zones in attracting major multinational companies to Egypt. "Coca-Cola is a major employer locally and an exporter to over 40 countries from Egypt. We thank them for their commitment to investing in Egypt's future".
Curt Ferguson, President of Coca-Cola's Middle East and North Africa Business Unit, added, "Strong business and strong communities go hand-in-hand and our investment not only helps to create good jobs, opportunity and a better tomorrow for Egyptians but also sends a strong signal about Egypt's future."
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About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca-Cola, the world's most valuable brand, our Company's portfolio features 15 billion-dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia and Del Valle. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy our beverages at a rate of 1.8 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. Together with our bottling partners, we rank among the world's top 10 private employers with more than 700,000 system associates. For more information, visit Coca-Cola Journey at www.coca-colacompany.com, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CocaColaCo or check out our blog, Coca-Cola Unbottled, at www.coca-colablog.com.
© Press Release 2014