Supply Ministry to respond to ration card appeals in November
Nearly four months after the Ministry of Supply purged them from Egypt’s food subsidy system, citizens across the country say their appeals remain stuck in limbo.
The ministry began enforcing strict eligibility criteria in early June in a bid to strip non-needy recipients from the rolls. But many who lost their ration cards have struggled to meet the bureaucratic demands of the appeals process, with some government agencies refusing to issue the necessary supporting documents. Others who successfully submitted paperwork say they have heard nothing back.
Mustafa Mohamed, an irregular daily-wage worker in the Giza governorate, relies on his card to buy subsidized food and bread for his two children. His card was canceled after the ministry claimed he owned a recent-model car—a charge he denies. Though he submitted official proof that he owns no such vehicle, his case remains unanswered.
“They told me I was excluded because of a car I don't own,” Mohamed said.
Others have found themselves caught in legacy paperwork traps. Essam Mohamed, a doorman in Cairo, had his card suspended in June over a commercial license tied to his late father—for a shop that closed years before his death.
For Ahmed Nour, an employee at a state-owned enterprise, the suspension means spending roughly 50 Egyptian pounds ($0.92) a day on bread alone. He was excluded for allegedly owning two cars, despite having sold one a decade ago.
“When I submitted the bill of sale, they rejected it and told me I needed proof from the traffic department,” Nour said. “It was extremely difficult to get, but I finally submitted it two months ago. I’m still waiting.”
Ministry spokesperson Ahmed Kamal told Al Manassa that the results of the appeals will be announced and applicants notified in November.
The mounting frustration comes despite assurances from Supply Minister Sherif Farouk, who told attendees at the Egypt Forum on Tuesday that no one is removed arbitrarily. Exclusions, Farouk said, are grounded in interagency data reflecting household income, assets, and overall socio-economic standing.
Ministry spokesperson Kamal said the committee responsible for receiving appeals is continuing to review applications from citizens whose ration cards have been suspended and check whether they have submitted the required documents. The files will then be referred in batches to the relevant oversight authorities for review and a final decision.
Kamal added that the ministry would announce the appeal results and respond to applicants in November through text messages sent to everyone who applied.
He explained that the appeals committee’s current role is limited to checking whether the required paperwork is complete. Committee members contact applicants by phone if documents are missing so they can provide them before their files are referred to the relevant authorities.
Oversight authorities are responsible for verifying the submitted documents and making the final decisions on appeals, he said. The information will then be sent to the Ministry of Military Production, which will send text messages notifying applicants whether their appeals have been accepted or rejected.
The exclusion criteria the ministry has applied in recent years include high incomes or government pensions, ownership of a luxury car or more than one car, high electricity consumption or mobile phone bills, agricultural landholdings, high school fees, and the payment of large customs duties or tax settlements.
In 2019, the criteria for removing citizens from the subsidy system sparked widespread protests. Following presidential directives, the government reinstated about 1.8 million people in the ration card system and opened the door to appeals so that excluded cases could be reviewed again.