Egypt increased public spending on citizens' priorities in the fiscal year 2023/24, Finance Minister Ahmed Kouchouk said on Saturday, highlighting a 19.3 per cent rise in health expenditure and a 20.1 per cent increase for education. Speaking at a press conference to announce last year's fiscal performance, he noted that EGP15 billion was spent on state-funded medical treatment, benefiting 2.5 million citizens and easing the financial burden on low-income families. Kouchouk added that EGP2.1 billion was funded for presidential initiatives to cut medical waiting lists benefiting 484,000 people, treating 80,000 critical cases, while health insurance and medicines cost EGP7.4 billion. He also revealed that EGP4 billion funded 160,000 new teachers to improve education service for 26 million students, with 6.9 billion for textbooks, 0.5 billion for incentives, and 7.2 billion for school meals, benefiting 15.6 million pupils. The minister also said that EGP9.3 billion supported the mortgage initiative for low- and middle-income citizens, helping around 70,000 beneficiaries last year. Additionally, EGP57.6 billion and EGP60.2 billion were spent on domestic and imported wheat, respectively, with EGP7.2 billion for cotton support and EGP11.2 billion to settle sugarcane farmers' dues. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English Subediting: M. S. Salama
