An official at the Ministry of Electricity said that the total arrears of the nine electricity distribution companies across the republic owed by the government and administrative bodies amounted to EGP 30bn. He told Daily News Egypt that the dues owed by government agencies amounted to EGP 10bn, including the administrative body of the state and service bodies, while the debt of theWater & Wastewater Holding Company (WWHC) reached EGP 5bn. He explained that the entitlements of the electricity sector from the business sector amounted to EGP 4bn. These companies include the Chemical Industries Holding Company and the Holding Company For Metallurgical Industries. Moreover, the debts of economic bodies to the electricity sector registered EGP 2bn. These bodies include the Egyptian National Railways Authority, Egypt Post, the Egyptian General Petroleum Cooperation (EGPC), the Industrial Development Authority, and the General Authority For Supply Commodities (GASC). The official pointed out that the entitlements of the electricity sector owed by the local administrations of the state reached EGP 2bn. The debts of the public sector amounted to some EGP 800m, including debts owed by the Egyptian Agricultural Bank, the National Bank of Egypt, and the Egyptian Arab Land Bank, as well as the Suez Canal Authority's subsidiaries and the Arab Contractors Company. The debts of the private sector companies to the Ministry of Electricity amounted to EGP 1bn, while debts of the Ministry of Investment's private companies reached EGP 1bn. In the same context, Prime Minister Sherif Ismail issued directives to deal seriously with government agencies and institutions that have stopped paying their electricity bill, in order to secure inflow of financing needed by the Ministry of Electricity. Ismail gave the green light to cut off electricity from these agencies. The official at the ministry said that the institutions, administrative bodies, water and sanitation companies did not pay the dues of the ministry and accumulate their debts, despite addressing them several times and threatening of cutting electric feed. However, the cabinet demanded keeping the electricity linked to these agencies and form a committee to resolve financial disputes. He explained that the decision to cut off the agencies that stop paying is in the best interest of the state, as the Ministry of Electricity obtained loans to improve the quality of service and the continuity of electrical nutrition without interruptions, while the rates of collection of electricity bills monthly from government agencies remained at 22% only.
