The Deputy Chairman of the Planning and Budget Committee in the House of Representatives and head of the Justice Party, MP Abdel Moneim Imam criticized the government during Monday’s plenary session of the House of Representatives, which discussed the draft law concerning periodic allowance.
He announced his rejection of the government’s draft law concerning wages increases for state employees and public sector companies.
The draft law specifies the percentage increases in the periodic allowance for those subject to the Civil Service Law and those not subject to it, as well as the additional incentive for state employees.
It also stipulates a special bonus for employees of public sector companies and public business sector companies.
Imam noted that prices have risen significantly since Mostafa Madbouly assumed the premiership, and he presented several figures indicating this increase.
Stark figures
He explained that since Madbouly took office in 2018, electricity prices have increased by 762 percent, metro fares by 925 percent, cooking gas cylinder prices by 1.150 percent, poultry prices by over 450 percent, and meat prices by over 500 percent.
The price of 92-octane gasoline has increased by 594 percent, the price of medicine, especially for chronic illnesses, by over 300 percent, and the price of building materials (average iron and cement) by over 600 percent.
The official exchange rate of the Egyptian pound against the dollar has increased by 186 percent, while the inflation rate has risen from eight percent to 40 percent.
Imam continued: “But to be fair, the minimum wage, thank God, increased from LE 1200 to LE 6000, meaning it increased by 400 percent in pounds, but in reality it decreased in dollars from about US$ 168 dollars to about US$ 122 dollars.”
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
