Maat reserves the budget allocated to the Takaful and Karama program 

The value assigned to the government program does not meet the implementation of the periodic review recommendations related to improving the standard of living and social security

 

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With the parliament continuing to discuss the report prepared by the special committee that was formed to follow up on the government’s statement that was presented at the end of last month, the Maat Foundation for Peace, Development and Human Rights calls on the members of the honorable Council to consider the recommendations that the Egyptian government committed to before the universal periodic review mechanism “during the discussion The statement and the parliamentary committee report regarding it, especially in the recommendations made to Egypt regarding the right to a decent living, which were submitted by several countries, namely: -

1. Recommendation No. (166-266) and submitted by (the Islamic Republic - Iran), which reads: -

- To continue promoting the right of its people to have access to social security and an adequate standard of living.

2. Recommendation No. (166-268) submitted by the State of (Bhutan) and the text was: -

To continue its efforts aimed at reducing poverty, and in particular, to focus more on programs to combat poverty in rural areas

3. Recommendation No. 166-269 submitted by the State of (Kazakhstan); Which read: -

Exerting more efforts for the realization of economic, social and cultural rights, including by strengthening social protection measures.

These are the recommendations supported by the Egyptian government in its report submitted to the Human Rights Council in March 2015, and despite the government’s support for these recommendations, the Foundation believes that the government’s statement delivered by Prime Minister Sherif Ismail before Parliament on the twenty-seventh of last March did not take into account these recommendations in particular. With regard to the (Takaful and Karama) program, for which the government has allocated a budget estimated at 4.3 billion Egyptian pounds to cover the needs of one million Egyptian families, which means that the allocation for each of those families that will be covered by the project will be 4,300 pounds annually, equivalent to 358.3 pounds per month. It is considered a very small value in light of the decline in the price of the Egyptian currency against its foreign counterpart, which led to a significant increase in prices with the high level of inflation.

This budget includes scholarships granted to families whose children are studying in pre-university stages of education, as well as the Karama program, which provides a monthly pension estimated at about 350 pounds for elderly people over 65 years of age and people with disabilities who are unable to work with a disability of 50%.

Which means that the government has either prepared an inaccurate report or that it will work to reduce family allowances from the program, which is what the institution refuses to consider because of inflation and high prices.

Therefore, the Foundation calls on the distinguished parliament to reconsider this project and set a minimum family pension within this program that is commensurate with the current price level. The Foundation also demands the honorable council to fully announce the details of the project so that this confusion in the government statement is removed.

This appeal comes within the framework of the implementation of the Maat Foundation for Peace, Development and Human Rights, which has a consultative status in the United Nations Economic and Social Council.The Universal Periodic Review as a Tool to Improve Public Policies During the Transition Period ”, Funded by the European Union over the course of 2016-2017. It seeks to mobilize all possible efforts to support the Egyptian state to fulfill its international obligations, especially the recommendations it accepted during the second session of the Review 2014, through an integrated package of capacity-building activities, awareness-raising and advocacy activities.

Please visit the official project page for more updated information: www.fb.com/UPR.Egypt2016