Local news outlets reported that Egypt’s Ministry Supply and Internal Trade announced during a press conference on Saturday that the government will no longer support the third children through subsidy cards as of the end of August. The decision comes a few weeks after raising fuel subsidies and a new wave of price increases. Egyptian Supply Minister Ali al-Muselhi said that the non-beneficiaries will be removed at the end of August after the grievances are examined. He added that no new children will be added to a subsidy card with four individuals already in hand. In 2017, Justice and Development Organization President Zidane al-Qayni proposed the idea of a “reproductive license” aimed at reducing the fertility rate, which is currently 3.47. The proposed law requires a license for each newly wed couple where they are allowed to have one child, and the license must be renewed every five years. The proposal was to impose a fine on the birth of more than one child during the period of the license. When more than two children are born, the third and subsequent children are deprived of state support such as free…
Egypt Will No Longer Sustain Subsidy Card Services for Third Children
August 5, 2019
