A total of 400,000 Egyptians were removed from the subsidised food commodities ration cards, the ministry of supply and internal trading said last week. The ministry explained that this is a step to ensure the subsidised goods reach those who need it the most and to preserve the state's rights. The deleted members are ineligible beneficiaries, the ministry added. In July 2017, individual subsidies on ration cards increased by 138% from EGP 21 to EGP 50, after increasing the value of subsidies in the state's general budget from EGP 45bn to EGP 85bn. The move came to cope with the soaring inflation, following the currency devaluation and the energy subsidy cuts. Only ineligible citizens will be removed. It does not make any sense that someone who pays EGP 1,000 for a mobile or in electricity bills would have a ration card, the ministry explained. The ministry referred to other criteria, such as electricity consumption up to 1,000 kW per month, mobile phone bills of EGP 1,000 per month, and the enrolment of children in foreign schools whose education expenses can exceed EGP 30,000 per month–all of which render citizens ineligible.
