Laws raising the salaries of cabinet ministers and diplomats drew criticism in parliament, including from a handful of MPs from the majority Support Egypt bloc who stressed the pay rises come at a time when millions of ordinary people are complaining about increases in the cost of living. “Instead of raising the salaries and pensions of those on limited incomes the government has opted to raise the pay of cabinet ministers and diplomats whose income is already very high,” said Support Egypt MP Mohamed Al-Husseini. Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Omar Marawan defended the increases, pointing out that they apply to just a few senior officials. “They include the parliament speaker, prime minister, cabinet ministers, provincial governors and their deputies,” said Marawan. Parliamentary Speaker Ali Abdel-Aal argued “the law does not lead to raising salaries, but seeks to codify the current conditions.” Many MPs were unconvinced, pointing out that Article 2 of the new law not only increases the salary ceiling of cabinet ministers and governors but allows for increased bonuses to be paid. To the dismay of many MPs, Speaker Abdel-Aal went on to say that the legislative amendment had become necessary because the salaries of cabinet ministers are “too low”. He pointed out that in recent years public figures have been increasingly unwilling to accept cabinet posts because of the level of remuneration, citing the difficulties Prime Minister Sherif Ismail faced when seeking to form a government. “The new law seeks to raise salaries within the maximum wage limit,” said Abdel-Aal. The law increases the monthly salary of a cabinet minister to LE42,000 (the maximum wage), excluding bonuses, says MP Haitham Al-Hariri. It represents an increase that many members of the public will resent. Egyptian Social Democratic Party MP Ihab Mansour condemned the law as “provocative to ordinary Egyptians and embarrassing for MPs”. The budget committee report said the decision to increase ministerial salaries and those of governors was taken two years ago but implementation was delayed “because of the economic crisis which hit Egypt at the beginning of 2016” out of “fear of an angry popular reaction”. The report added the increases were being applied now “to make the position of a cabinet minister more attractive financially”. A second law, approved on 17 April, increases the pay of diplomats and will be applied retroactively, from June 2015. The increases cover Foreign Ministry employees affiliated with diplomatic and consular missions, and commercial representation offices. “When the Civil Service Law raised the salaries of government employees, legislation covering the pay of Egyptian diplomats was left unchanged,” said the committee report. “It is now necessary the salaries of diplomats be increased in line with other state employees.” Al-Husseini criticised the legislation as “discriminating in favour of diplomats”. “While state employees are poorly paid and find it difficult to meet their everyday needs diplomats already receive high salaries and generous bonuses,” he said. 15 MPs voted against the law, while four abstained. Abdel-Aal defended the salary increases, saying economic conditions have negatively affected the purchasing power of everyone, diplomats included. After pointing out that the Foreign Ministry has already closed some embassies and consular offices to save money he stressed that when “ambassadors' foreign postings end they return home where they receive a modest civil servant of just LE1,500 a month”. On Sunday MPs approved yet another controversial law imposing prison sentences on farmers who cultivate rice without securing prior approval from the Ministry of Agriculture. Left-leaning MPs in the 25-30 parliamentary bloc said it was unfair, as well as a PR disaster, to ratify a law that allows the imprisonment of poor farmers in the same week the salaries of senior officials and diplomats are increased. Minister of Agriculture Abdel-Moneim Al-Banna said custodial sentences were necessary to deter farmers from planting crops such as rice which consume huge amounts of water. MPs also approved amendments to the law governing the National Authority for Tunnels, opening the possibility of private sector participation in operating and maintaining the Cairo Metro. Private sector involvement will provide much needed funding, say MPs, and the amendments are in line with earlier legislation allowing the private sector a role in running the national railway system.
