President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has recently announced a social package to address the ramifications of the global economic circumstances in Egypt.

During an event in Minya to honor outstanding Egyptians as part of his tour of Decent Life projects in the Upper Egypt governorate, El-Sisi announced the following measures:

• Raising the minimum wage for government employees who hold a Master’s degree to EGP 6,000 and for those who hold a PhD to EGP 7,000.
• Raising tax exemptions from EGP 24,000 to EGP 30,000 annually, effective 1 April.
• Raising Takaful and Karama benefits for the neediest citizens by 25 percent, effective 1 April.

The minimum wage for government employees was last raised in October 2022 from EGP 2,700 to EGP 3,000. The president emphasized that this social package is aimed at alleviating the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war and the COVID-19 pandemic.

El-Sisi’s visit to the Upper Egypt governorate of Minya was to inspect the progress made so far in development projects carried out in Maasara village under the presidential initiative ‘Decent Life’. The president said that all development projects focus on serving citizens everywhere, and the state is keen to serve citizens in the countryside and Upper Egypt. He also praised the great voluntary work made in Maasara, which is the first model village in which ‘Decent Life’ projects have been fully completed.

During his visit, the president warned against considering the government and the people as separate entities, saying that the government and people are on the same page. He stressed that the country needs sincerity, honesty, and work, and the state will do what it can to make life easier for people.

The Decent Life national project (Hayah Karima in Arabic) 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 percent of Egypt’s 104 million population, with an estimated budget of EGP 700 billion. The initiative has been divided into three stages, comprising 1,500 villages each, due to the enormous volume of work needed to develop the 4,500 villages.

President El-Sisi’s recent announcements of a social package, including raising the minimum wage for government employees, tax exemptions, and benefits for the neediest citizens, demonstrate the government’s commitment to improving the lives of Egyptians, especially those in rural areas. The ‘Decent Life’ initiative is a massive undertaking that aims to improve the infrastructure and living standards in thousands of villages across the country.