The Workers’ Emergency Benefits Fund, affiliated to the Ministry of Manpower, has disbursed over EGP 346.806m to 299,530 regular employees in the sectors hardest hit by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Minister of Manpower Mohamed Saafan said that Egyptian workers, particularly in tourism, spinning, and weaving sectors, have benefited from the emergency funds.
In a press statement on Sunday, Saafan revealed that the workers are employed with 3,393 establishments, with the aid representing 100% of their basic wage. This represents the limit under the employer’s insurance, which has been fixed at a minimum of EGP 600.
The step has been implemented under President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi’s directives to see the disbursal of regular workers salaries in sectors affected by the global pandemic. In terms of the tourism sector, Saafan noted that EGP207,657m has been disbursed to 199,924 regular tourism workers employed at 3,195 tourism public and private establishments.
He added said that a total of 76,675 workers employed at 97 public and private establishments in Egypt’s spinning and weaving sector received EGP 98,702m.
Saafan mentioned that rules governing the disbursal of emergency funds to the country’s most affected sectors, especially tourism, were agreed upon by the Ministries of Manpower, Tourism, and Planning and Economic Development at a recent meeting.
The funds that have been put aside as aid for Egypt’s tourism sector are granted according to applications submitted to the Egyptian Tourism Federation (ETF) for review and submission to the fund. This in turn reviews all applications, with disbursements made to establishments by cheque or bank transfers.
