Ebeid: Government is committed to increase income

Egypt's Prime Minister Atef Ebeid is to raise before President Mubarak the main guidelines of the government policy statement which he will make before the People's Assembly on Tuesday.

Ebeid said that the main aspects of the government policy statement are represented in a wide array of development projects which are aimed at raising individual and family income, and improving the standard of living.

President Mubarak has given directives to the Prime Minister that the government policy statement should make emphasis on providing financial resources necessary for facing burdens of the new social and economic programs the government will carry out in the year 2002, commitment to their implementation according to certain time tables, cutting down burdens shouldered by citizens and raising their living standards.

Ebeid told Al Ahram that average income of individual and family will be increased through the following methods:

Cutting down family burdens in the new income tax law which will be submitted to the People's Assembly in its current session. This cut will increase income of the state civil servant by 2-3%.

Increasing salaries, wages and pensions at the beginning of every fiscal year.

Expanding lending programs for graduates for promoting small size projects in villages and districts.

Extending loans to merchants to expand their projects provided that they should provide more job opportunities for graduates.

New social and economic programs are aimed at establishing a fund for assisting limited income brackets to get housing units in projects carried out by the ministry of housing.

This fund will be financed by the Central Bank. This fund will extend loans to citizens willing to get units with an area less than 90 meters.

He said loans programmes extended to families (without) sponsors (nearly 200,000) will be expanded.

The government will also adopt a program for developing the systems of incentives which will be linked to production rates.

Programs aimed at improving the status of the state civil servants will also be expanded.

The Prime Minister said the new year will not witness prices increase adding that subsidy for the essential consume ,commodities will also be maintained.

The Prime Minister said that imposing customs duties on fully manufactured clothes is an important step for saving weaving and spinning industry that orovides jobs for 1.5 million workers and which has the potential of doubling the needs of the domestic market.

The Prime Minister said Egyptian production in general covers two thirds of the gross domestic product adding that Egypt's import are valued at 13 billion dollars one fourth of which cover essential consumer commodities.

The Prime Minister said the government will continue to maintain control over markets and will decisively face up to violators and smugglers.