In juxtaposition to the roaring political crisis, caused by the refusal of supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) rule to accept changes on the ground, the voice of the interim government in addressing chronic social and economic problems is still faint. The government is understandably somewhat hand-tied, owing to the turmoil on the street and instability caused by MB protesters, simply because security is a prerequisite for economic plans, as Prime Minister Beblawi was keen to underline the other day. However, the Minister of Housing Ibrahim Mahlab has been trying to come up with non-traditional ideas in his endeavour to find solutions to a vital sector, which has for long neglected the interests of the poor at the expense of the well off. Mahlab's suggestions for housing which basically evolve around the interests of the poor apparently spring from a belief in, and an understanding of, social justice, a goal which has been unattainable since the January 25 Revolution. Mehlab has put forth a new system for property ownership where instalments would be as low as rental values to help medium and low-income strata find shelter. Thinking outside the box, the minister has of late sought a religious edict from the Grand Mufti Shawqi Allam regarding bonds where alms would be directed to buying State-built flats for the poor. While tapping such unconventional solutions, Mahlab is quite aware that the State budget under the present circumstances is incapable of meting needs of a large sector of the people dwelling in shantytowns and cemeteries. In a country that deviated from socialism in the early years of the l952 revolution to a free market economy, conditions within the process have become more in favour of sectors that can pay more. So a balance between state obligations and private-sector commitments to market needs is a challenge which not only the government of Beblawi would be facing but successive governments as well. The framework that guided governmental plans of action in all directions in the past several decades need to be broken with fresh ideas especially given the 30-month old battered economy.
