Solidarity Ministry pays LE1.1bn under Takaful, Karama

CAIRO – 18 August 2018: Minister of Social Solidarity, Ghada Waly, announced on Friday paying LE1.1 billion under the Takaful and Karama (Solidarity and Dignity) program for low-income families during August.

This sum was distributed through 3,800 post offices nationwide. The number of families benefiting from this program this month amounted to 2.25 million families, approximately 10 million individuals.

The program includes 5,630 villages in all the governorates of the country, while about 72% of the program budget is directed to the governorates of Upper Egypt, with Minya receiving the largest sum in August, up to LE148 million, followed by Sohag with LE124 million, and Asyut with LE114 million.

Takaful and Karama is a cash transfer programs that comes as part of a social protection net implemented by the government to protect the poor from the negative effects of Egypt’s reform program.

The aim of the move is to soften the effects of the austerity measures on those with limited incomes.

In 2015, Egypt launched the Takaful and Karama program to provide direct financial support to the neediest people in different villages. The budget allocation of the project was LE 4 billion in 2016.

Takaful and Karama program was funded by more than LE10 million from the state’s budget in the fiscal year 2017/2018.