Egypt’s parliament approved a total of 172 laws in the fields of economy, social protection, advancing youth, and maintaining state security and wealth, according to an annual report released on Tuesday.
The report included achievements and parliament’s performance during the year, which witnessed the fourth round, the beginning of fifth, and its last round.
in 2019, parliament signed a total of 65 international agreements in the field of social protection, support, and development of the private sector, support for women’s projects, agriculture, sanitation, and education.
After 74 plenary sessions, parliament submitted 800 proposals to the government in all fields related to citizen services. Also, it submitted several inquests to government over risks of floods, issues of homeless children, pensions, minimum wage, and price hikes of agricultural crops.
Around 15 international visits were organised to enhance parliamentary diplomacy on the international stage.
The Law of the National Council for Persons with Disabilities, Law of Regulating Terrorist entities, the Law regulating the Federation of Egyptian Industries and Industrial Chambers, the Law on Social Insurance and Pensions, the Law on Practicing Domestic Work, Increasing Pensions, and Laws for Granting Allowances to Persons Addressed to the Civil Service Law, were on the top of the laws approved during the year.
In 2020, parliament is supposed to discuss localities, the law of senate, law of parliament, and approve the amendment of the electoral system.
Parliament held weekly sessions to confront ministers, discuss brief requests, requests for urgent sessions, and questions from members of the government and its ministers on the problems of citizens.
Parliament also approved a draft law on the practice of civil work on Sunday, also known as the Non-Governmental Organisation (NGOs) Law, after it faced criticism for being highly restrictive and undermining the activities of NGOs in Egypt.
The law was re-drafted by the ministry of social solidarity upon President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi’s request to replace the previous Law No 70 of 2017.
In November, Parliament Speaker Ali Abdel Aal said that the current parliament would continue its work until January 2021 as stipulated in the Constitution, which outlines 5-year legislative terms.
In July, Speaker Abdel Aal announced the end of the fourth legislative round of the 2015 parliament which witnessed the approval of 156 laws.
At the beginning of the fifth round, members of parliament announced that sessions would be aired, but later former head of the media committee Osama Heikal, said sessions would be publicised during its fifth round that kicked off last October, but will not be aired live.
The first round of parliament began on January 13 and included 596 members after three years of absence, and for the first time under Al-Sisi’s presidency.
Among the top priorities of the 2015 parliament was the issuing and amending of a number of new and old laws to meet the people’s demands made during the 25 January and 30 June Revolutions.
