A fresh step taken by the Government to stop the importing of used computers has sparked the fury of low-income families. The Government says that the purpose of the ban on the distribution of used computers here is to protect the environment. According to its IT experts, such computers pose a catastrophic threat to the environment in Egypt. Although they have become relics of the past in advanced communities, used computers are very popular with Egyptians. Children from poor families love to play games at home on an old computer their parents have managed to buy at an affordable price. It's also very cheap for children from middle-class families to use these computers to chat online with their teachers and Egyptian or foreign friends. Determined to swiftly expand its ban to include computers that are only 12 months old, the Government has been accused of betraying the technological prospects of millions of poor and lowincome Egyptian families. The Government has also been accused of allegedly giving in to pressure from giant computer companies and their agents, who complain that the popularity of second-hand machines is denting their sales. About a decade ago, the Government announced its 'A Computer for Every Family' programme, to allow schoolchildren to have their own computers at home. The Ministry of Education also encourages low-income governmental employees to buy computers on favourable repayment terms. Other developing countries are taking similar measures. Egyptian environmentalists warn that the developing countries have become the dumping ground for technological waste, having a dreadful impact on the regional and global environment. The owner of a computer store in Bab el-Louq, a Cairo downtown area where people buy old computers, has condemned the Government for its indifference to the economic difficulties of the average Egyptian citizen. Mohamed Abdel-Samie says: “We are being attacked by environmental officials and inspectors, who accuse us ofdealing with dangerous materials and waste. “But, at the same time, millions of Egyptians have televisions, which were manufactured decades ago.” The man who owns the shop next to his says that European countries, which are very sensitive about environmental affairs, welcome used computers.
