National Dialogue’s recommendation to partially exempt NGOs of bills approved in Parliament

CAIRO - 10 July 2023: The National Dialogue has already begun to bear fruit as the House of Representatives exempts the National Alliance of Civil Development Work of half of its bills.

The House of Representatives and the government agreed to add a proposed clause to Article 21 of the draft law of the National Alliance of Civil Development Work, exempting the National Alliance for Civil Action by up to 50% of electricity, water, telephone and gas bills per month. 

The draft was submitted by Representative Talaat Abdel-Qawi, based on recommendations by the National Dialogue, which was held in the past few months with the participation of hundreds of public figures.

As an example, Abdel-Qawi said the Liver Center in Egypt, which is a member of the alliance, spares the state L.E.260 million in treatment of liver diseases, yet pays up to L.E.7 million in electricity bills. 

Abdel Qawi, also a member of the National Dialogue’s Board of Trustees, said during one of the dialogue’s sessions on June 18 that many civil society organizations have trouble paying bills, whereas the state pays more than half of electricity bills of youth centers.

His proposal was met with agreement in the session, and he went on to propose the amendment in parliament.