More than 300 participants in the Mubarak Social Housing Project protested Tuesday in front of the Beni Sueif Municipal Council south of Cairo. Protesters demanded that the government rescind a recent decision to increase the price of single housing units from LE20,000 to LE72,000. "I signed a contract for my unit at LE20,000," complained protester Mahmoud Ibrahim. "Now they want me to sign another contract with LE300-per-month installments instead of the LE150-per-month installments originally stipulated." According to municipal council head Ahmed Zaki, the abrupt decision to increase unit prices can be attributed to a recent jump in prices for raw materials, such as cement and steel. Meanwhile, in South Sinai, scores of taxi drivers and private automobile owners protested against the refusal of the local traffic authority to renew their driving licenses until they could prove they are permanent residents of the province. MP for South Sinai Saber Ashmawi explained that South Sinai residents were entitled to certain privileges by the authority. "We don't want car owners from other provinces to renew their licenses here simply to receive these special benefits," he said. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
