Egypt Watch

New bill to obliges citizens to donate to Tahya Misr fund

The head of the Legislative Committee in the Egyptian Parliament, Bahaa el-Din Abu Shoka, has submitted a bill obliging citizens to donate to the Tahya Misr (Long Live Egypt) fund to help fight the coronavirus pandemic. Abu Shoka said that the draft law stipulates the deduction of five per cent from salaries which exceed EGP 5,000 ($318), 10 per cent from salaries which exceed EGP 10,000 ($635), 15 per cent from salaries which exceed EGP 15,000 ($953), and 20 per cent from salaries which exceed EGP 20,000 ($1,270), for workers in the public and private sectors. The bill contravenes the principles of the Egyptian constitution, which stipulates the freedom of citizens to own their property and does not obligate them to donate a percentage of their salaries to any state agency.

The Long Live Egypt fund is affiliated to the president and is not subject to financial supervision. No one knows how the money is spent or what its other sources of income are.