Supply Ministry to allow adopted children on ration cards

CAIRO – 8 September 2018: Minister of Supply Ali Moselhi has issued directives to allow families to add their adopted children to their ration cards (food subsidy cards).

The ministry’s decision, no. 25/2018, allows the addition of adopted children as long as their families meet several requirements.

Some paperwork are required for this process, including an adoption contract that is authorized by government social services offices, the child’s birth certificate, the family’s social security number, a photocopy of both parents’ national ID and ration card.

Moselhi said July 3 that procedures, guidelines and rules governing the addition of new born children to ration cards will be put in place and announced July 11. This comes after the Prime Minister approved a decision to add children that are not yet added to the cards.

The decision comes within the framework of the government's keenness to provide goods for citizens and support, as part of their human development and support strategy. All commodities on the card are in state-run outlets and branches of consumer complexes and outlets of subsidiaries in the provinces, says the Minister.

The Cabinet’s decision to add new borns to the ration cards came primarily as part of a plan to increase the value of subsidies allocated to citizens in the system of food supplies who need them, and the amount of beneficiaries in Egypt.

Currently, the country pays LE 3.5 billion every month to cover subsidies, with this figure expected to significantly increase to support rationed goods that will be allocated to the newly-added individuals on the ration cards.