The government is considering excluding 1.8 million families from the ration card system by deeming them undeserving of subsidies. Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif had asked his cabinet to make sure subsidies go to those families that deserve them most. While the Finance Ministry welcomed the decision, the ministries of social solidarity and trade have objected to it. They said there are no fixed criteria for enrolling in the system, which makes it difficult to assess who should be excluded from it. They also said the reason for expanding coverage of the ration card system had been to force down prices of certain commodities sold on the free market and that this goal still exists. Other government bodies fear the decision will trigger unrest in society. Studies have shown that the system covers university professors, doctors, lawyers and businessmen, none of whom need subsidized commodities. Excluding 1.8 million families would supposedly save the government LE1.5 billion which more deserving segments of society could in turn benefit from. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
