A shortage of finances is apparently invoking the skill of not only Egypt's Minister of Finance Youssef Botrous-Ghali, but of all the other Cabinet ministers in finding ways to fill the empty State coffers. The Ministry of Agriculture is today considering fining upscale housing settlements that have been built on agricultural land on Cairo-Alexandria Desert Road. The ministry has apparently opted for the fine rather than removing violating buildings, in order not to harm landlords but at the same time to take punitive measures against the companies that run these posh compounds. The Ministry of Agriculture is partially responsible for turning a blind eye to these violations for many years, in some cases for more than 20 years. Today, the ministry says it wants to exercise an iron-fist policy to prevent such transgressions on land that was supposed to be reclaimed for agricultural projects. But the bottom line is that the ministry has found a good opportunity to raise extra money by collecting LE1,000 (about $182) per metre from these settlements, with the total money in fines expected to be LE85 billion. There are reported to be 28 companies in violation on this vital highway. Sources at the ministry say the funds would be channelled to finance infrastructure for reclamation projects in Sinai. We do hope that the Ministry of Agriculture does come up with a draft bill, as it has promised, to retain desert land allocated for agricultural activities under control for such projects and to prevent the recurrence of stark violations of land use.
