2 Oct 2019; MEMO: Egypt’s supply ministry yesterday said it would bring back of 1.8 million Egyptians to the so-called “smart-card system” for subsidised goods.
In an official statement, the ministry added that it was receiving citizens’ grievances through “the supply offices in the different Egyptian governorates.”
The Egyptian supply minister, Ali Al-Muselhi, has long urged “all eligible Egyptian citizens to apply and register in the subsidy system.”
According to official data, the government provides a monthly subsidy of 50 Egyptian pounds per capita (about $3), benefiting 72 million people, through 22 million subsidies smart cards.
Egyptians have protested for two weeks in a row as a series of videos released by the Egyptian contractor Mohamed Ali unveiled widespread corruption in the top ranks of the Egyptian regime and the army which struck a nerve with Egyptians living under severe austerity.
Ali called for a million-man march on Friday to demand that the general turned president, who has committed severe human rights abuses in the country, stand down.“Your time is up,” Ali told Al-Sisi in one of his videos. “Your last date with the people of Egypt will be on Friday.”
Last week the Arabic hashtag “Enough Al-Sisi” was trending worldwide with over one million tweets.
According to figures compiled by the Egyptian Coordination for Rights and Freedoms, over 2,350 people were arrested in the space of two weeks.
