State reclaimed 87% of squatted lands within 2 weeks, ACA

CAIRO – 7 June 2017: State authorities reclaimed 919.458 feddans of squatted lands, and adjusted the position of 771 thousand feddans, out of 1 million and 982 thousand feddans and 168 million meters between May 16-31, 2017, Chairman of the Administrative Control Authority (ACA), Mohamed Erfan stated during conference on Wednesday.

“The accomplished phase represents 87 percent of total squatted lands, and we will claim the 13 percent which estimated at 236.997 feddans in no time,” Erfan said in the conference held at Galaa Theater, attended by President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, government members and number of military personnel.

Sisi held celebration for the accomplishment of state land reclamation from squatters’ campaign on Wednesday.

On Saturday, the government announced that the state property enclosure ended on May 30. He pointed out that the land reclamation process is still ongoing. “We will not allow anybody to steal or encroach on the state-owned property,” Minister of Local Development Hesham al-Sherif added.

In May, President Sisi ordered the army and police to investigate land encroachments and reclaim illegally acquired state lands. Some governorates have been declared squatter-free, including Cairo, Sharqia, New Valley, Gharbia, the Red Sea, Ismailia and Qena; the first squatter-free governorate in Upper Egypt.