Egypt is developing a unified, integrated cash-based social protection programme that categorises beneficiaries into tiers based on income, allowing for dynamic movement into and out of the system as living conditions change, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said on Monday.
The proposed system aims to provide “necessary protection” to targeted and eligible segments of the population with greater accuracy and transparency, relying on updated and verified databases, Madbouly added during a meeting to review the governance and modernisation of the social protection system.
The meeting was attended by Minister of Social Solidarity Maya Morsy and Minister of Supply and Internal Trade Sherif Farouk.
Madbouly stated that the tiered programme is designed to be “dynamic,” allowing citizens to move between different levels or enter and exit the system according to their income and living conditions. This initiative follows directives from President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to continuously develop support tools that balance social justice with economic sustainability while protecting the rights of those most in need.
Minister of Supply and Internal Trade Sherif Farouk said the proposed programme targets higher levels of efficiency and fairness, ensuring that government support reaches its true beneficiaries. He noted that cash-based systems are a modern development tool adopted by many countries, either fully or gradually, to enhance social justice, improve public spending efficiency, and grant citizens the freedom of choice based on their actual needs.
Farouk added that rapid global economic and social changes necessitated the construction of an advanced and flexible support system capable of meeting citizens’ requirements while preserving state resources.
The minister further noted that the cash-based protection programme would improve the efficiency of the social protection framework through integrated and updated databases. This would allow for constant updates based on the economic and social variables of each family to ensure state resources are directed more effectively to eligible groups.
