Egypt’s Minister of Finance, Ahmed Kouchouk, unveiled Saturday that the 2026/27 draft budget will prioritize health and education, with allocations set to rise by 30 per cent and 20 per cent, respectively. This outpaces the overall public spending increase of 13.5 per cent.
Speaking at a press conference, Kouchouk has noted that the government is working closely with the Ministries of Health and Education to implement more impactful programmes aimed at improving public services.
To bolster healthcare, LE90.5 billion has been earmarked for the Unified Procurement Authority—a 25 per cent annual increase—to secure essential medicines and equipment. This includes LE47.5 billion for state-funded treatment and health insurance, reflecting a significant 69 per cent rise. Funding has also been set aside to expand universal health insurance into the Minya governorate.
In the education sector, LE7.8 billion is dedicated to textbook production, while LE7 billion will fund school meal programmes. Kouchouk emphasized that these investments aim to upgrade infrastructure across all governorates.
The minister also outlined four key fiscal policy priorities aligned with Egypt’s broader economic strategy to boost investment, growth, and development. These include strengthening trust and partnership with the business community through tax, customs, and real estate facilitation packages.
He emphasized the importance of balancing fiscal discipline with economic stimulus, particularly through support programmes for exporters, industry, tourism, and entrepreneurship.
Kouchouk added that the government is working to improve debt indicators and reduce external debt, in order to create greater fiscal space for increased spending on health, education, and social protection programmes targeting vulnerable groups.
