President El-Sisi Meets the Prime Minister and the Minister of Social Solidarity

Today, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met with Prime Minister, Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, and Minister of Social Solidarity, Mrs. Nevine El-Kabbaj.

The Spokesman for the Presidency stated that the meeting followed-up on the Ministry of Social Solidarity’s programs related to social protection.

Mrs. El-Kabbaj offered an overview of efforts exerted by the National Committee to curb the phenomenon of debtors, provide social protection and economic empowerment for their families, and help those unable to pay their debts. The Minister further showcased the ministry's efforts to raise society’s awareness regarding the dangers of debts and the importance of avoiding exaggerated consumerism in the process of preparing for marriage, which represents one of the most important causes of this phenomenon of debt.

President El-Sisi instructed the coordination between the Ministry of Social Solidarity and the relevant authorities regarding reassessing lists of debtors and giving priority to single women, widows, and the elderly. The President further stressed the importance of the coordination with civil society and religious institutions so as to help families unable to facilitate marriages and contribute to the payment of debts.

The meeting also covered a presentation of the existing efforts to provide means of social insurance for farmers within the "Decent Life" initiative to consolidate the role of the state to support and encourage them to integrate with the official sector and interact with financial institutions. It also reviewed a study, conducted by the Ministry of Social Solidarity, on the possibility of farmers participating in an insurance system that guarantees their protection from the threats of old age, disability and death, under the name “Your Pension is in your Hands”. This aims to target farmers of various age groups, and provide flexible payment systems with cash payments that make it easy for the farmer to pay. A complementary presentation of similar international experiences in this regard determined the best methods under the umbrella of the social protection of farmers.

The President further directed to audit the statistics of farmers at the governorate level to ensure that everyone is included under the umbrella of social protection. The Ministry of Social Solidarity, in coordination with the Ministry of Communications and the banking sector, are, in turn, able to benefit from digitization and financial inclusion systems, ultimately satisfying the aim of achieving the stability and orderliness of the system and ensuring the sustainable provision of its financing sources.