Prime Minister Ibrahim Mehleb said that the government will draft a new law to "protect facilities" which criminalises and toughens punishments for attacking facilities. The law will reduce repeated attacks on water and power stations and networks in the framework of government attempts to secure citizens' access to basic necessities. "The Prime Minister's legal advisory body has already begun studying the facilities protection law in coordination with the relevant ministries and the State Council," said cabinet spokesman Hossam Al-Kawish. He added that the legislation frustrates attempts to disrupt government efforts to serve citizens. He continued: "The Prime Minister charged the Minister of Agriculture with creating a document that obliges development companies working on the Toshka project to finish the required work within three years. If not, the land will be withdrawn from them and consultations will take place with landowners in Toshka." The new plan for the city of Toshka will also be displayed, along with the number of housing units to be built and architectural designs, he added. According to Al-Kawish, the Minister of Agriculture is preparing to visit East Owaynat next Friday in order to meet with investors and complete work on a comprehensive survey of the region's potential. In a statement made late Saturday following a meeting with the Ministers of Housing and Agriculture, Mehleb instructed the Minister of Irrigation to inventory the capacity of all groundwater wells across Egypt. "The government is committed to purchasing a portion of wheat from farmers at a fair price no less than last year's prices, in light of the fact that one of the cabinet's most important priorities is to support farmers," Mehleb said. He confirmed that the ministers of International Cooperation and Housing are undertaking a comprehensive study of sewage issues in the Al-Salam canal with the help of World Bank experts.
