Prime Minister Dr. Mostafa Madbouly participated in the celebration held today,  , to mark the 10th anniversary of the launch of "Takaful and Karama" programme, under the title "Social Protection: Lessons from the Past Shape the Steps of the Future."

The event was attended by several ministers, the Lebanese Minister of Social Affairs, governors, a number of parliament members, the head of the Social Solidarity and Family Committee, the EU Ambassador to Egypt, several European ambassadors in Cairo, representatives of the World Bank, representatives of UN agencies, the head of the National Council for Human Rights, several presidents of Egyptian universities, and partners in the programme's success.

At the beginning of his speech during the celebration, Dr. Mostafa Madbouly stated: "In a moment filled with pride and honour, I am pleased to welcome you all on this occasion as we celebrate ten years since the launch of one of the greatest social protection programmes in modern Egypt's history: the "Takaful and Karama" programme; this programme embodies the Egyptian state's approach to achieving social protection for its citizens and excellently reflects its vision of supporting the most vulnerable groups."

The Prime Minister added: "Ten years have seen the Egyptian state fulfil its promises: the promise of solidarity, the promise of dignity, and the promise that no one would be left behind."

He emphasised that since June 30, 2013, the Egyptian state has proven to be a state of protection that spares no effort in safeguarding its citizens from falling into the clutches of poverty and need; Egypt launched the "Takaful and Karama" programme at a pivotal moment when the state was rebuilding its institutions and embarking on a highly challenging economic reform, with the understanding that any real economic reform must go hand in hand with a just social reform that ensures protection for the most in need, enhances justice, and preserves the dignity of the Egyptian citizen.

In the same context, Dr. Mostafa Madbouly added: "I have witnessed this programme since its earliest moments as a member of Engineer Ibrahim Mahlab's government, and my colleagues in the Ministry of Social Solidarity continued to work on it diligently.

The "Takaful and Karama" programme was launched based on a clear philosophy of investing in human capital, with conditionality as a fundamental pillar of its operations, where the entitlements of families were linked to their commitment to educating their children and maintaining the health of mothers and children as a prerequisite for receiving cash support. It has been ten years of hard work, sincere commitment, and a bet on the Egyptian citizen."

Dr. Madbouly said: "We chose to face challenges rather than flee from them, and His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi insisted that social protection be a backbone of the new state's structure, and that "Takaful and Karama" be the title of this phase.

From day one, the programme has focused on applying a solid scientific approach in all its procedures, using comprehensive social studies and relying on poverty maps. Over ten years, the programme has developed targeting, filtering, and verification mechanisms, becoming one of the most prominent cash support programmes in the world and in our region, the Middle East."

Dr. Mostafa Madbouly added: "Today, we are not just celebrating a cash support programme…we are celebrating a new philosophy in state management and we celebrate today Egypt that has not left its citizens exposed to waves of inflation, nor stood by watching global crises unfold, but rather extended its hand and its umbrella to cover Egypt with adequate social protection.

This programme has seen significant development since its inception and a dynamic interaction with social and economic developments, both locally and internationally.

The Prime Minister continued: "Thanks to a conscious political will and the genuine concern of His Excellency the President for the most vulnerable groups, the programme has expanded unprecedentedly.

After starting with less than 2 million beneficiaries and funding not exceeding 5 billion Egyptian pounds, the financial allocations for the fiscal year 2024/2025 reached approximately 41 billion Egyptian pounds, up from about 24 billion Egyptian pounds in the previous fiscal year 2023/2024, and it is expected to rise to nearly 55 billion Egyptian pounds in the coming fiscal year.

This amount is approximately equal to the total that the Egyptian state spent on all cash support programmes over seven years from 2011 to 2017, and will be spent in one year on the "Takaful and Karama" programme alone.

He said: "We believe that support is an obligation towards citizens unable to earn a living and the most needy families, and we plan to provide various forms of assistance through different channels.

Today, the Egyptian state has more than 22 social protection programmes, with a budget approaching 635 billion Egyptian pounds annually, of which the Ministry of Social Solidarity implements 13 programmes." He pointed out that as part of the Egyptian state's ongoing commitment to establishing principles of institutional sustainability for projects and programmes, the government submitted this year a draft social security law, which received the parliament's approval and was ratified by His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, coming into effect, with its executive regulations expected to be issued before the end of this year.

Thus, "Takaful and Karama" support becomes a legal right guaranteed by law for every eligible person, enabling the state to have legal mechanisms to hold accountable those who attempt to obtain support unlawfully, ensuring the sustainability of the protection system for future generations.

In this context, the Prime Minister indicated that the Ministry of Social Solidarity is preparing to launch a comprehensive strategic system for economic empowerment, targeting families of "Takaful and Karama," to assist them in improving their living conditions and increasing their incomes, with an initial funding of up to 10 billion Egyptian pounds, which will be gradually increased to meet the needs of all projects and initiatives through which we seek to improve the conditions of the most needy families.

He added: "Despite all this, we still see it as a legitimate dream: for Egypt to be free of poverty, free of need, and for us to one day celebrate the leaving of the last family from the "Takaful and Karama" umbrella, transforming from need to production."

In conclusion, Dr. Mostafa Madbouly expressed his sincere gratitude and appreciation to everyone who contributed to building and succeeding in this great national programme, saying: "I extend my thanks to those responsible for the programme from the Ministry of Social Solidarity, the field teams, strategic partners, international organizations that have walked with us a long path, all state institutions, partner ministries, and every Egyptian hand that worked sincerely to ensure that protection and support reach everyone who deserves it.

You were the foundation in building this historic programme…and you were the cornerstone of this ongoing success."

The Cabinet