Assistant Finance Minister Amr Badawy told Al-Masry Al-Youm in an interview that there are 700,000 tuk-tuks in Egypt to which the fuel distribution smart card system would be applied once it begins, adding that the system would also be applied to non-mechanized items, such as fishing boats, bakeries and brick kilns.
Q: Will farmers have to buy fuel with a special smart card?
A: We are studying the possibility of paying farmers the subsidy of diesel fuel for irrigation pumps and the like in cash.
Q: What what about tuk-tuks?
A: There are 700,000 tuk-tuks in Egypt to which the fuel distribution smart card system would be applied to once it begins.
Q: Have you issued smart cards for all types of vehicles?
A: Yes we have for all vehicles using petrol or diesel fuel, and for non-mechanized items, such as fishing boats, bakeries and brick kilns. People can take them from the respective traffic directories or order them
through www.esp.gov.eg. They can also call 16980 and 16983 for more information.
Q: How do you evaluate the petroleum products' distribution and trading monitoring system?
A: It has reduced smuggling and — consequently — increased availability. It has also reduced imports and decreased the projected deficit of the State Budget.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
