“State will do its best to make life easier for people”
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El Sisi on Thursday announced the raising of the minimum wage for government employees to LE3,500 and pensions by 15 per cent starting April 1.
The president’s remarks came yesterday during his inspection of the progress realised so far in development projects carried out in Maasara village in the Upper Egypt governorate of Minya under the presidential initiative ‘Decent Life’.
President Sisi announced raising tax exemptions from LE24,000 to LE30,000 annually effective April 1.
He also announced raising Takaful and Karama benefits for the neediest citizens by 25 per cent effective April 1.
The President also ordered raising the minimum wage for those government employees who hold a Master’s degree to be LE6,000 and for those who hold a PhD to LE7,000.
The minimum wage for government employees was last raised in October 2022 from LE2,700 to LE3,000.
“This social package is meant to alleviate the ramifications of the global economic circumstances,” President Sisi said.
The President also stressed that stability in Egypt was paid for by the sacrifices of many martyrs and their families, adding that “the state will do what it can to make life easier for people.”
President Sisi stressed that all development projects mainly focus on serving citizens everywhere, noting that the state is always keen to serve citizens in the countryside and Upper Egypt.
Sisi also praised great voluntary work made in Maasara, which is the first model village in which ‘Decent Life’ projects have been fully completed.
The President was warmly welcomed by more than 1,500 volunteers participating in these development initiatives and projects.
In a discussion with one of the volunteers, the President warned against considering the government and the people as separate entities.
“The way of thinking: The government is here and the people are over there. Therefore, the government is the enemy so we have to wreck it,” is what led to a problem in 2011,” Sisi said.
“The government and people are on the same page,” he stressed.
“The country needs sincerity, honesty, and work … and the state will do what it can to make life easier for people,” he added.
Sisi’s visit aims to stand on the development progress made in the Upper Egyptian governorate and New Minya city to provide a decent life for citizens there.
The Decent Life national project (Hayah Karima in Arabic), which was initiated in 2019, aims to improve standards of living, infrastructure, and basic services including healthcare across the countryside.
The project covers 4,658 villages across the country, which are home to 58 per cent of Egypt’s 104 million population, with an estimated budget of LE700 billion.
The enormous volume of work needed to develop the 4,500 villages required the initiative to be divided into three stages comprising 1,500 villages each.
Sisi said that he is proud of all youths and volunteers who contributed to carrying out development projects and voluntary works in the Upper Egypt governorate of Minya.
He thanked the volunteers over their great efforts, urging all young people to follow in their footsteps.
Sisi also extended thanks to volunteers on behalf of all Egyptians and Minya inhabitants.
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