The social protection file has received great attention from the political leadership, and many programs and initiatives have been launched to help the neediest layers and provide a decent life for all citizens. These efforts have achieved tremendous results in combating poverty and expanding the umbrella of social security. With the outbreak of the Coronavirus, focus has increased on this file, to protect some groups that have been affected by the repercussions of this epidemic. Accordingly this increased the challenges facing the government in providing the necessary funding to continue its policies in strengthening the social protection network.

In this symposium CEBC & ECIC had the honor to host H.E Dr. Neveen Al-Kabbaj; Minister of Social Solidarity discussing the topic “Social Protection … and The Current Challenges” And moderated by Dr. Mayan Raslan, President of the Qualitative Union of Rotary Clubs in Egypt – Deputy Chairman of Speedo Trans Company.

In the opening remarks Eng. Motaz Raslan; on behalf of CEBC & ECIC; welcomed our dear distinguished members, guests, ambassadors and all those who follow the meeting through video conference technology; hoping that our next meetings will be in the direct presence of all participants and that this disturbing nightmare ends … and life returns to normal and thank H.E. Dr. Neveen Al-Kabbaj; for responding to the invitation and for our participation in the dialogue on the issue of social protection in light of the current challenges and the most important challenges facing the Ministry with the increasing talk about the ferocity of the second wave..

He began the speech with a famous saying which is “If poverty, ignorance, and disease are combined the people disbelieve in the state and every patriotic feeling dies” all experiences confirm that the countries that have succeeded in reducing poverty. And to build social cohesion is the most advanced and achieves economic growth… Therefore, the social protection file has received great attention from President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi since the first day of his assumption of power through a vision and strategy that set its priorities in building the Egyptian human being, caring for the poor, and supporting low-income people. Over the past six years, initiatives and programs have been launched one by one aimed at strengthening social safety nets.

Through commodity support, pensions, training, employment, slum development, social housing programs, economic empowerment of deserving citizens without distinction, and other efforts that have won praise in various international institutions

With a quick look at the achievements and successes of this file during the past six years, we find that it witnessed an unprecedented interest and a radical shift in the concept of social welfare. Despite the implementation of the economic reform program, it was affected differently.

Segments, except that there was great care to support the low-income and vulnerable groups so that they would not be affected by the repercussions and decisions of the reform program.

He added that Several programs and initiatives have been launched to support them, such as the (Decent Housing) program for the restoration of homes, the provision of clean drinking water, the (Care for Homeless Children) program, as well as (Support for the breadwinner woman) in addition to the efforts of the Fund. (Combating Addiction and Abuse), which witnessed a great expansion in the governorates. All these achievements would not have been achieved without the support of the political leadership. Day after day, there is increasing talk about the second wave of the emerging coronavirus, and everyone is following the developments of the spread of this epidemic fiercely in many countries of the world to ring the alarm bells again threatening many segments of society, not only from the risk of contracting the disease, but also the repercussions that threaten various sectors and jobs We touched it in the first wave, and we hope that God will spare Egypt this epidemic.

He noted but despite all these concerns, Egypt was the least affected and succeeded ably in overcoming the repercussions of the outbreak of the Coronavirus during the last period and was able to repeat the success in the face of this epidemic. We have learned the lesson well and I think that our government has scenarios to deal with any upcoming crises.

And we before I conclude my speech, I would like to point out that there are a certain fact that (social protection is a tool of justice) and that it is the most important tool for fighting poverty and investing in economic development. Therefore, I would like once again to praise the government’s policies in the face of multidimensional poverty and I wish them and the Minister All the best in this noble and extremely difficult task.

H.E Dr. Neveen Al-Kabbaj; Minister of Social Solidarity thanked CEBC & ECIC for inviting her & welcomed all respectable attendees then confirmed that the Ministry of Social Solidarity is a story inside every Egyptian home, as the Ministry works on children, people with disabilities, orphans, the elderly, and pensioners, noting that the ministry works on people, adding, that the social protection file is receiving great interest from the political leadership, as many programs and initiatives have been launched to help the neediest and most vulnerable groups and providing a decent life for citizens.

Dr. Nevin Al-Kabbaj revealed that they are currently studying the development of a strategy for social protection for irregular workers through which small sums of money are paid in exchange for protection services such as pensions and treatment, indicating that they are currently negotiating with irregular workers and asking them to pay a monthly subscription and a special account will be opened for them.

She explained that there is a tendency of the ministry to work on economic empowerment and work on social protection from the perspective of investing in people, stressing that the social protection file is receiving great attention from the state; that what was allocated to the social protection file during the last 5 years has exceeded 300 billion pounds, and that the monetary support program alone during the 6 years has jumped with its allocations from 3.6 to nearly 19 billion pounds, stressing that the monetary support is granted according to conditions that have nothing to do with ‘ Humiliating ‘whoever gets the support, but to ensure the latest bargain on development – in the words of the Minister – the most important of which is the education of children and not to divert them from studies.

She indicated that the Ministry is pursuing a scientific approach in social protection, as it relied on poverty maps approved by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics to direct programs to those villages most in need, explaining that social protection programs are an integrated system with the participation of many ministries and state agencies and institutions.

She emphasized that the cash support program implemented by the Ministry is conditional, and is directed at the most vulnerable families, and aims to create mobility for families below the poverty line so that they feel that there is a developmental and economic change that has occurred to them.

She added that the most important characteristic of social protection programs is mechanization, as there is no follow-up and governance without automation, which is what, distinguishes the “solidarity and dignity” cash support program, noting that there is coordination between government efforts and civil society in several programs and projects, which achieves important goals. Referring to the recent poverty report issued by state agencies and how Upper Egypt has witnessed a decrease in poverty rates by 5 degrees while other geographical sectors have increased by 5 degrees, explaining that this came as a result of what ranges from 65% to 68% of conditional cash support. It was pumped into Upper Egypt and large proportions of Upper Egypt families benefited from the “solidarity and dignity” program and said that this program succeeded in reaching 3.4 million families, equivalent to 14 million citizens, and that the cash support budget was increased by 300%, indicating the success The Ministry is in the process of creating a database and creating an electronic link with the Ministries of Health and Education and Al-Azhar.

Finally she explained that investing in people is an important priority for political leadership, and the results of this investment will appear in the future, and it also provides a waste of resources.