Egypt’s government has discussed expanding the base of beneficiaries of social protection programs, preparing an exceptional social protection package to ease the burdens on vulnerable groups.
Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly held a meeting on Saturday, to follow up the procedures for expanding the application of social protection programs, in the presence of Finance Minister Mohamed Maait, and Minister of Social Solidarity Nevine al-Kabbaj.
Madbouly said that President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ordered a study to expand the base of beneficiaries of social protection programs and prepare an exceptional social protection package that takes into account the conditions of the vulnerable families, in an effort to ease the burdens on them in light of the high rates of inflation at this time.
During the meeting, the Finance Minister confirmed that the government is working to provide the necessary funding for the social package that the president directed to implement, in an effort to support targeted families, protect them and mitigate the negative effects of the current global conditions.
The Social Solidarity Minister indicated that the social protection programs adopted by the ministry aim to enhance investment in human capital and empower the most vulnerable groups.
This would therefore contribute to meeting the needs and requirements of each age group by identifying appropriate protection mechanisms with the aim of responding effectively to their needs and its requirements, in order to achieve the proper social protection.
Kabbaj also touched on the statistics of the support programs provided to the targeted families, noting that the number of beneficiaries during the current fiscal year 2022/2023 are up to 4.1 million families, accompanied by a development in the budget of support provided to those targeted families.
She revealed the age distribution of the beneficiaries of the “Takaful and Karama program“, and their geographical distribution, explaining that Upper Egypt accounts for more than 70 percent of the families benefiting from this program.
And she also noted the ministry’s work efforts and strategic priorities to deal with the repercussions of coronavirus pandemic, and the current global crises and conditions, through the horizontal expansion of coverage for more targeted families by integrating the largest number of them into sustainable economic and productive activities – in cooperation with civil institutions and the private sector.
