Egypt State Information Service

Over ages, the Egyptian society witnessed tangible changes on all levels, thus leading to the distinction of the Egyptian character and promoting the status of the family, being the basic cell of the society and helps implanting principles, habits and traditions.

The state pays due attention to enhancing the social life of Egyptian citizens and allows them the chance to contribute to the promotion and advancement of his country and society. In the meantime, the state guarantees citizens' rights to expression and labour, safety and security and provides all forms of care to all citizens. Since its establishment in 1939, the Ministry of Social Affairs provides services for Egyptian citizens through a set of programmes and projects ultimately aiming at creating a society capable of making life on Egypt's land.

At present, the Egyptian society witnesses a social transformation that represents the other face of economic reform and one of the mainstays of development, especially as regards its human dimension. Since 1981, and up till now, social work system has moved in great strides. The state's main objective is to ensure security for today's and tomorrow's generations through raising incomes and pensions, realizing psychological stability for the Egyptian family, polishing citizen's skills and urging them to positively participate in their society's main issues.

These offices aim at enhancing family cohesion and solving their problems, concomitant with providing guidance and counseling services and providing assistance to family courts. To this end, the Ministry established 180 offices, benefiting about 19532 cases, with an allocation of LE 295,000 under 2004/05- budget for the development of these offices

Ministry of Social Affairs adopted a number of projects for the development of the Egyptian child. Being Egypt's basic human asset. Salient of these projects are as follows:

- Rural Children Project: it was launched in 1986 with the aim of developing rural children and providing a suitable environment that pays special attention to the pre-school children and ensure healthy up bringing , through 22 offices, spread in 21 governorates.

- Early childhood Development Project: it was started in 1997 with the aim of providing a suitable environment for children through spreading healthy practices as regards early childhood development. This project is being implemented in cooperation with the Bernard Van Lir Institution in a number of 30 associations, benefiting 33540 children in 9 governorates.

Caring for Working Children: with the aim of facing up the phenomenon of child labour and curbing its negatives, 14centres were established, benefiting 664 working children. A similar number of children are hosted during the summer vacation.

Caring for Orphans: In this regard, the State has provided a number of services through lodging institutions and nurseries that pay special attention to orphans at different age categories, up to the age of 18. Under 2004/05 budget, LE 2.4 million was allocated for the development of these institutions. In accordance with the provisions of Article (99) of Law No 12 of 1996, the child ensuring pension is considered one of the most significant achievement in this respect, with an allocation of LE 20 million under 2004/05 budget, benefiting 88,000 children.

Number of lodging institutions reached 250, benefiting 7749 children, lodging nurseries 102, benefiting 2068 while 4890 children benefit from substitute care all over Egypt.

The State pays due attention to rehabilitating people with special needs to be engaged within the society, through making optimal use of their potentials and capabilities, even if limited, so as to be productive citizens, not a burden on others.

To this end, a number of programmes and mechanisms were devised, namely the establishment of 146 social rehabilitation offices, 37 social rehabilitation centers and 36 institutions. Unprecedentedly, a number of mobile rehabilitation units were established so as to provide rehabilitation projects is the rehabilitation project that aims at rehabilitating people with special needs inside their families and society through 55 centres, benefiting more than 500 cases. Among the most notable examples in the field of social rehabilitation, come the project of the audio training of people with special needs in addition to vocational formation centers.

The first Law on Social security was issued in 1950. Then, law No. 30 of 1977 was issued, amended by law No 88 of 1977 was issued, amended by law No 88 of 1996. By virtue of those subsequent legislations, the state is fully committed to supporting and sustaining low-income brackets by raising the minimum of social security pension to the one-member family from LE 5 to 50, and it would gradually increase to 70 according to number of members. Number of beneficiaries during 2004/05 rose to more than 770,000 families, with a credit of LE 492 million.

The Ministerial Decree No 140 of 2005 stipulates that the minimum of social security pension shall be LE 60 for one person, and gradually increase to LE 80 in view of number of members, as of 1/7/2005. Number of beneficiaries hit 1 million families, with a total cost of LE 1 billion per annum. In addition, each family, benefiting from social security pension, receives a monthly – LE 20 – grant for each child enrolled in basic education during the academic year and for 8 months as of 1/10/2005. In case of many basic education enrolled-children within the same family, each receives the grant with a maximum of LE 100. Social security system regulates the provision of the following services:

Elderly care is considered one of the most fundamental human issues that receives the state's due attention, among other social policies and developmental programmes that basically aim at answering the needs of the elderly of the society.

The state provides care for elderly people through 106 elderly homes, serving 2577 persons in addition to 152 elderly clubs serving 27068 persons.

It aims to provide care and vocational training for school 13 to 18 – year- old-drop-outs in addition to providing training for intermediate secondary schools and universities graduates in 70 centres. Number of trainees during 2004/05 hit about 3930 persons.

The concept of social defence is mainly based on the necessity of modifying the behaviour of delinquents and help them serve their society. Number of social defence clubs rose to 163 clubs in 2004/05.

In December 2005, Ministry of Social Solidarity was established, including supply and social affairs ministries. The philosophy of this new ministry is mainly based on providing utmost care for low-income brackets through paying due attention to subsidy and drawing up new mechanisms to protect the consumer.

NGOs, totaling 19,398, play a key role in the field of social work in support of governmental plans. They carry out their plans within the framework of stable regulatory and structural mechanisms, namely the General Union of NGOs, regional unions and specific unions.

NGOs contribute to the development of the society on health, social, economic, cultural, religious & educational levels, concomitant with increasing the awareness of family planning and providing services to people with special needs. The Ministry presents financial aids to NGOs, estimated at more than LE 53 million, not to mention providing technical support and allocating land plots.

These associations aim at promoting local communities, removing obstacles that hinder development, making optimal use of available potentials and resources to implement developmental projects and coordinating with national or international bodies interested in development issues. In 2004/05, 19 projects were carried out by 201 associations, with a total cost of LE 4.761 million.

Women development is a pre-requisite for promoting the whole society. On top of its priorities, the state is so keen on paying due attention to poor women and women bread-winners, increasing the awareness of family planning and its effects on the society, combating illiteracy, upgrading girls' education and rehabilitating and training women.

Concomitantly, the state aims at empowering women on the economic level by helping them to easily get the necessary capital, tools of production, information, training and technical assistance. In this respect, a number of remarkable projects were carried out, salient of which are:-

* Rural Women development project: started in 1981, this project mainly aims at raising the economic level of rural women through engaging them in income-generating small and medium-size productive projects. This project covers 136 Markazes (hamlets) in addition to other smaller villages.

* Rural Women Training Project that aims at creating a better social lifestyle in rural areas and increasing women's awareness of development objectives. The project's umbrella covers 42 villages.

* Outreach Rural and Social Workers Project, started in 1964 with a number of workers that reaches 3000 up till now. These workers are voluntary leaderships chosen by the village residents and thereupon receive the due training in the project 17 centres.

* Working Women Service Project, started in 1982 with the aim of removing all obstacles that may affect working women's performance. The number of centers under the umbrella of this project reached 42 centres.

The law on public service for youth No 76 of 1973 was issued to regulate assignment of youth to work for a period of one year in public service domains. The number of youth assigned to public service in 2004/05 showed more than 65865. Ministry of Insurance drew up a draft law to amend some of the provisions of the Law on public service in response to life requirements.

Since its inception in 1964, this project aims at developing the economic resources of low-income categories and young graduates through granting soft loans and providing transformational training necessary for utilizing their energies and potentials, and enhancing the financial status of these families. Up till now, the number of the project beneficiaries hit 1.852962 million families.

- Total of loans given by the Social Development Fund for 64 projects reached LE 830711 million. Number of domestic exhibitions hit 136, with a total cost of LE 30 million all over Egypt.

- Number of productive families projects preparation centres financed by the investment plan, in addition to other centres financed by the State public budget reached 330 centres. Number of self-financed centres hit 3023 centres, number of trainers 4425 and number of trainees 49366.

The project was launched in 1997, upon a cooperation agreement between Ministry of Insurance and Social Affairs and Italy. The project was successfully implemented in Giza governorate as a first step, and thus continued for three more years. On January 13, 2001, the project extended to el-Menya governorate with the aim of providing rotating loans for poor families to raise their economic and social standards of living. On June 23, 2003, the project's umbrella extended to cover Assuit, Sohag and Qena with a finance estimated at LE 41.015 million. The project was established under 2003/04 investment plan, with a finance that reached LE 19 million.

The principle of social solidarity is one of the underpinnings of the Egyptian Constitution. In 1973, the Social Insurance Ministry was established for the first time in Egypt, with the aim of extending insurance coverage to all citizens.

As part of the State's efforts in this connection, new enhancements were introduced to Social Insurance Law in 2003/04, including the following:

A law was issued providing for the eligibility of a husband for his wife's pension, and his right to collect, without limits, her pension along with his own as well as his income from any job.

Law No. 10 of 2004 was issued on regulating the Egyptian family insurance scheme under alimony provisions and allocating additional resources for the alimony fund maintained by Nasser's Social Bank to provide money necessary to enforce alimony verdicts for divorced wives.

During the period from July 1, 2004 up to June 30, 2005, 217,000 citizens were directly insured, thus bringing the total number of directly insured people to 18.9 million.

Total pensions and compensations during the same period rose to about LE 20.1 billion, benefiting 7.5 million pensioners and eligible beneficiaries.

As part of the State's efforts to provide more facilities for pensioners, 60 new disbursement outlets were added, thus bringing the total number of disbursement outlets up to June 30, 2005 to 14470, spread all over Egypt.

- In December, 2005 and within the framework of an integrated programme to reform pensions scheme in Egypt, Social Insurance Authority is now reporting to the Ministry of Finance to achieve a more efficient financial management of insurance resources and reformulate the Pensions Law.

Nasser's Bank was established pursuant to Law No.66 of 1971 as a general institution reporting to the Ministry of Insurance and Social Affairs. It aims to expand the social solidarity base through granting soft loans and aid for low-income brackets. In addition, Nasser's Bank contributes to carrying out banking and investment activities.

Volume of investment loans granted by Nasser's Social Bank from July 1, 2004 to June 30, 2005 is estimated at about LE 1150.4 million, of which LE 100.3 million investment loans by participation, LE 14.3 million productive loans to provide job opportunities for youth, LE 315.8 million loans for acquisition of means of transportation, LE 555.5 million housing loans and LE 164.5 million for newly-married couples houses.

Total social loans granted by the Bank to citizens on various occasions showed about LE 31.4 million, of which LE 23.3 million social loans and LE 8.1 million loans for enforcement of alimony verdicts. Total proceeds of Zakat hit LE 109.8 million, properly disbursed through legitimate channels during the period from July 1, 2004 up to June 30, 2005.

The State provides care for manpower, enhance their efficiency, develop their productive capabilities and widen their knowledge to keep pace with the successive technological developments and meet the requirements of the labour market.

During the period from July 1, 2004 up to June 30, 2005, number of the appointed at home hit 206,308. Number of job opportunities provided for Egyptians abroad rose to 100,953 in addition to 151,87 occasional job opportunities during el-Hij (pilgrimage). Furthermore, the State appointed many people with special needs, in application of the statutory 5 percent rate. In this regard, 11 units were established in manpower and immigration directorates to employ and follow up temps.

In the field of vocational training, number of trainers reached 20,000. In addition, an amount of LE 1.565000 million was disbursed as emergency aid for 1673 labourers in 11 establishments.

According to the Presidential Decree No. 165 of 1979, the Ministry of Manpower and Immigration links the immigration policy with the State's objectives for economic development and national interests.

Within the framework of cooperation between Ministry of Manpower and Immigration, Italy and the World Immigration Organization, the immigration information integrated project was implemented so as to enhance the capabilities of the immigration and Egyptian expatriates sector to manage Egyptian immigrants affairs.

Under the project umbrella, the e-website of immigration affairs was upgraded to be Egyptian immigrants' window on the world, to help those interested in immigration, to assist job-hunters and to back businessmen abroad. Cooperation agreements and protocols with Arab and African countries were concluded. Executive programmes for technical cooperation and staff training were prepared between Ministry of Manpower and Immigration and India, Jordan, Zimbabwe and Sudan.