Egypt's government raises drinking water and sewage fees

CAIRO – 3 June 2018: Egypt’s Prime Minister Sherif Ismail signed off Saturday to raise drinking water and sewage fees starting this month by as much as 50 percent for consumers of all consumption tier, according to the Official Gazette.

The new prices for residential use range between LE0.65 to LE2.25 per cubic meter, depending on consumption,

Sewage fees, which are calculated as a percentage of water prices, hiked to 75 percent of the water price.

Prices for commercial use range from LE3 to LE10, depending on industry and consumption levels, while sewage fees have been raised to 98 percent of the water price.

This is the first water price hike since Egypt launched its economic reform program in November 2016, which is backed by a $12 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), with the aim of restoring macroeconomic stability and luring back much-needed foreign investment.