A government recommendation to reinstate about 17,000 ration cards remains pending final review by the Ministry of Military Production, a Ministry of Supply source told Al Manassa. The recommendation covers about half of the 34,000 appeals filed by people removed from the subsidy system in June.
The source, who is familiar with the ministry’s appeals process, said the first stage of reviewing appeals is handled by committees that include representatives from the ministries of Supply and Social Solidarity, the Administrative Control Authority and other agencies.
The Ministry of Military Production then conducts the final review and rules on the appeals before the Ministry of Supply announces the results.
The Ministry of Military Production has controlled the technical management, central database infrastructure, and automated purging mechanisms of Egypt’s smart-card subsidy system since late 2016. Holding the master digital registry that aggregates data across state institutions, the ministry acts as the ultimate authority in confirming card removals and restorations.
The Ministry of Supply began what sources who spoke to Al Manassa called “strict enforcement” of ration subsidy eligibility criteria in early June. At the same time, some citizens received text messages notifying them that their cards had been suspended, sparking debate and anger on social media.
The source, who spoke to Al Manassa on Sunday on condition of anonymity, said the committees had completed their initial review of the appeals and recommended reinstating about 17,000 cards, roughly half of those submitted so far.
“These cards were removed under the school fees criterion, before their holders submitted proof that the criterion did not apply to them,” the source said.
While the committees have completed an initial review of some appeals, other excluded citizens face major difficulties meeting appeal requirements because government agencies, including traffic and customs authorities, have refused to provide documents proving their eligibility. Assistant Minister and ministry spokesperson Ahmed Kamal previously acknowledged the problem in comments to Al Manassa.
The exclusion criteria applied by the ministry in recent years include income and pension levels, vehicle and agricultural land ownership, high electricity consumption and cell phone bills, as well as large school tuition, customs or tax payments.
In 2019, the criteria used to remove citizens from the subsidy system triggered widespread objections, prompting the government, acting on presidential directives, to reinstate about 1.8 million people to the ration card system and reopen the appeals process to review excluded cases.
