Economic reforms to increase expenditures on citizen’s services: Minister

CAIRO – 29 July 2018: Economic reforms will enable the Egyptian government to spend more on citizens’ services including health care, education and housing, according to Minister of Finance Mohamed Ma’it.

This came during his speech at the session on the development of the health insurance system as part of the second day of the Sixth National Conference for Youth held at Cairo University.

Egypt had embarked on a bold economic reform program that included the introduction of taxes, such as the value-added tax (VAT), and cutting energy subsidies, all with the aim of trimming the budget deficit.

The country also floated its currency in November 2016 before clinching a $12-billion loan from the IMF.

The IMF’s executive board approved a three-year Extended Fund Facility (EFT) loan to Egypt worth $12 billion to support its economic reform program.

Ma’it clarified that developing the health care system helps in lowering poverty rates in the society, noting that the government needs time, infrastructure, and qualified human resources to include all the Egyptians in the insurance system.

He added that studies on the application of the comprehensive health insurance system began in 2005, pointing out that Japan has succeeded in being an enormous economic force because of the comprehensive health coverage, thus supporting economic growth and the following successes.

Legislative system and laws are now available to reform health care system, the minister added.

“Resources of Health Care Authority come from subscriptions and cigarettes,” Mait said, clarifying that the yields of cigarettes reach about LE 3 billion, in addition to the subscriptions and the fund from the budget.

Last December, Egypt’s Parliament approved the new national health insurance law, which raised a stormy debate between the Egyptian Medical Syndicate, which opposes the draft law, and parliamentarians. The law was criticized for imposing more burden on the individual's income as the law raises monthly insurance fees.

After discussions that took over a month, former Minister of Health and Population Ahmed Emad Eddin announced on Dec. 19 the Parliament’s approval of all articles of the new comprehensive health insurance law.

Presidency spokesperson Bassam Rady announced on July 6, the launch of the first phase of the new health insurance law including preliminary procedures for the full implementation of the law, as:

“The elimination of patient waiting lists for surgery and critical medical interventions within six months, providing the needed stocks of infant formula and vaccines, and finishing the comprehensive survey and treatment of Hepatitis C virus for Egyptian citizens.”

Why good? Why bad? New health insurance law discussed

CAIRO - 21 December 2017: The Egyptian Parliament finally approved the new national health insurance law, raising a stormy debate between the Egyptian Medical Syndicate opposing the draft law and parliamentarians. After fruitful discussion that took over a month, Minister of Health and Population Ahmed Emad Eddin announced on December 19 the approval of the Council of Representatives on all articles of the new comprehensive universal health insurance law.