The need for divine intervention is raised not only during the month of Ramadan, but throughout the year. Ramadan, after all, is the month of generosity and magnanimity. The charity bags distributed among the poor is a new practice that has come to compete with the Banquets of Mercy where free Iftar meals are set out to feed the hungry and needy. However, the whole business has taken on political implications. The poor are being used as pawns in the most devilish Machiavellian political machinations. So it is with much trepidation that the public is concerned about the rising inflation, the highest inflation levels in Egypt in two decades. Food prices, in particular, have had a tremendously negative impact on the poor. The standards of living of the impoverished masses are fast falling. They cannot make ends meet. On the other hand, the wealthy are displaying their riches in a most indiscreet fashion. They flaunt their wealth at the poverty-stricken majority. It is in this context that the government is attempting to come to the rescue. The authorities are marshalling all their powers and energies into plans and projects that would help the poor. Sustainable development plans are in the offing. The problem, though, is that some people are sceptical about the government's plans. They are fed up with promises that were never fulfilled. It is as if they have heard it all before and have lost all hope in a brighter future. It is against this backdrop that the government is redoubling its efforts to eradicate poverty. When it comes to these vital issues of national concern, some unscrupulous politicians and print media journalists are upping the ante. They are stirring up trouble and are causing concern and alarm in some quarters. Suddenly the country is agog with scandals. Politicians and powerful tycoons are being caught in indescribably cowardly crimes. They are accused of the embezzlement of fantastic sums, corruption on a massive scale, bribery and fraud. Many are suspected of money laundering. Are they being made the scapegoats? Perhaps, perhaps not. Stopping corruption needs a mix of persuasion and coercion. Bribery and corruption are morally indefensible, and especially so in Ramadan. The authorities seem determined to purge senior government ministers and top officials as well as business tycoons and is responding to reputational risks and resorting to the courts. The number of influential members of the Egyptian business elite who have been charged with corruption and foul play in the past few weeks has been phenomenal. Something's afoot and people know it. Even those who question the integrity of the national statistics understand that the government must know what makes business tick. The government also knows all too well that they must make Egypt an attractive place to do business. But fine sounding rhetoric would not be enough. There are many academic debates as to what else could be done. The consensus is that there is plenty to be done. Despite high-minded sermons from the overzealous pundits, the actual practice of remedying the situation is easier said than done. At last a turning point seems to have been reached. But something unforeseen has been happening. There is a national determination to rectify the deplorable socio- economic conditions. All strata of society are determined to do something to propel forward the pace of reform and for the uplift of the people of this country. The approach to resolving these problems is becoming even more robust rescuing the country from sliding down the slippery road of societal failure and conflict. Indeed, intrusive scrutiny into the inner workings of companies has become the order of the day.
