Dialogues of Naguib Mahfouz: Searching the good news By Mohamed Salmawy Mahfouz: Amid the disasters that fill newspaper pages on a daily basis I am happy, on occasion, to come across items that show that optimism is not misplaced, that lives continue away from wars, killing and bloodshed. Salmawy: What did you find gladdening this week? Mahfouz: The first thing that caught my attention was the news that the state will establish a pension for those citizens who have no other income. It is to be set at a minimum of LE100 per month. Some may find this a modest sum, certainly when increases in the cost of living are taken into account. But the figure is the minimum payment, and the pension is for those who have no other sources of income. As such it will be very useful. What is most significant about the news is that it reflects concern, on the part of the state, about its citizens. The government, apparently, feels the need to provide people with a safety net of pensions, healthcare and the like. In European states people who fall ill can be treated free of charge. The unemployed receive benefits and the retired a pension that guarantees them a dignified life. Yet the countries that provide such social security are not socialist states. On the contrary, they are capitalist countries like Britain and France. We used to claim to be a socialist state though the people hardly benefited. And now we have a government that believes in a free economy announcing that it will implement a pension system. This is a good sign, and I hope it will be complemented with unemployment benefits and comprehensive health insurance. Salmawy: The government has yet to take action on the proposal and it will require an enormous budget. But the important thing, as you say, is that such a policy leaves people with the impression that the government is concerned about their lives. Mahfouz: True, it is a long-term project. There are, too, shorter term initiatives that are encouraging, among them the commitment to pay compensation to the families of the victims of the ferry disaster. Why the compensation has been delayed all this time I don't know. In normal circumstances boats would be insured and the insurance would cover the passengers. I only hope that the government will act on its commitment without further delay and that none of the victims' families fail to receive the compensation to which they have every right. Salmawy: It seems that these two news items are like points of light in the ocean of wretched situations about which the newspapers write daily. Mahfouz: I was also pleased to note that the stock market appears to have rallied following the crash rise two Tuesdays ago. I had worried that the downward spiral would continue, which would have spelt disaster for the economy. Thank God such worries proved unfounded.
