Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has announced a series of measures aimed at alleviating financial strains on citizens, including a raise in the minimum wage for public sector employees and changes to income tax exemptions.
The minimum wage for public sector employees in Egypt will increase from EGP 3,500 to EGP 4,000. Additionally, El-Sisi has raised the exceptional cost of living allowance to EGP 600 for all employees in various sectors, including the state administrative apparatus, economic entities, state-owned enterprises, and the public sector.
Income tax exemptions have also been adjusted, with the annual threshold increasing by 25 percent from EGP 36,000 to EGP 45,000 for all state employees.
These measures were announced during the inauguration of several development projects in the Beni Suef governorate as part of the Decent Life initiative.
Furthermore, the president has increased Takaful and Karama benefits for five million households by 15 percent and doubled the exceptional grant for 11 million pensioners and beneficiaries to EGP 600, up from EGP 300.
The minimum wage for government employees had previously been raised in March 2023 from EGP 3,000 to EGP 3,500.
President El-Sisi has also directed an increase in technology allowances for journalists registered with the syndicate and called for easing the burden on small farmers and individuals who were unable to pay interest on loans prior to January 1, 2022. Additionally, individuals who acquired land from the General Authority for Urban and Rural Development Projects and have faced difficulties in paying interest and late penalty payments have been granted an exemption, with a deadline set by the end of 2024.
