CAIRO: The finance ministry has set March 25 as the deadline to claim compensation for damages incurred during the January 25 Revolution. In a statement, Finance Minister Samir Radwan said that the inspection of damaged buildings and cars affected by looting and other incidents has already begun. Citizens claiming compensation can fill out forms on the ministry's website, after which a committee will be sent to review the damage and determine the suitable compensation. In a bid to ease the burden of recent economic pressure, the Ministry of Finance announced a set of measures to deal with concerns about the taxi replacement program and wages. Taxi owners that took part in the replacement program have faced problems with loan installments attributed to a drop in ad revenues; in turn, the ministry has negotiated with banks to delay the payments of two installments “We have reached an agreement with banks on equality between the first and the second stage [of the program] concerning ad revenues, which will be deducted from [due] installments of all beneficiaries regardless of whether they have an ad or not,” Finance Minister Samir Radwan announced. In another statement, Radwan discussed ongoing research to reach consensus on minimum wage reform. “Minimum wage is at the head of the government's program for important issues to tackle,” he said. The finance ministry will conduct a thorough study in which the private sector, chambers of commerce, civil society groups, and representatives from workers syndicates will participate. The study will result in an action plan to tackle the minimum wage problem, with the help of advisors from international agencies — such as the ILO — which helped countries in Eastern Europe and South Africa implement similar plans. “We will guarantee that we reach a new system for wages which adheres to the ambitions of the workers in a way to achieve social equality between the different segments of society,” Radwan said.
