Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, the Prime Minister, participated in the celebration held today, Sunday, 11 May 2025, to mark the 10th anniversary of the launch of the "Takaful and Karama" programme, titled (Social Protection: Lessons from the Past Shape the Steps of the Future).

The event was attended by Engineer Ibrahim Mahlab, former Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister for Human Development, the Minister of Health and Population, several ministers, the Minister of Social Affairs of the Republic of Lebanon, governors, a number of parliament deputies, the head of the Social Solidarity, Family and Persons with Disabilities Committee in the House of Representatives, the EU Ambassador to Egypt, several European ambassadors in Cairo, representatives from the World Bank, representatives from UN agencies, officials from several international organisations, the head of the National Council for Human Rights, several presidents of Egyptian universities, partners in the programme's success, senior officials and media professionals, prominent figures, and institutions that have supported the programme's journey over the past years, as well as officials from ministries and relevant authorities, and representatives of local and foreign media.

Upon his arrival at the celebration venue, the Prime Minister was received by Dr. Maya Morsi, Minister of Social Solidarity.

Before the event commenced, Dr. Mostafa Madbouly took a commemorative group photo with the team working on the "Takaful and Karama" programme at the Ministry of Social Solidarity, the World Bank team, and strategic partners. Following that, another commemorative photo was taken with Engineer Ibrahim Mahlab, former Prime Minister, several current and former ministers, a group of ambassadors from around the world in Cairo, a number of parliament deputies, and another group of partners in success. Dr. Mostafa Madbouly shook hands with all of them, expressing his sincere thanks and appreciation for their efforts in making this great programme successful.

Subsequently, as the Prime Minister was heading to the celebration hall, he paused to listen to an explanation about the electronic system linked to the "Takaful and Karama" programme using artificial intelligence technology. During this, a person with disabilities provided an explanation regarding the tools that have been developed to ease the difficulties faced by individuals with disabilities in applying for services from the "Takaful and Karama" programme, through the use of advanced methods and complete automation, with electronic follow-up of each request, by utilising artificial intelligence technology, which allows illiterate individuals and those with visual impairments to submit a voice complaint without the need for writing. They can also submit complaints from home without needing to go to the service provision location, and they receive responses regarding the necessary documents with coordination with various entities to follow up on the complaint.

He also pointed out the mechanisms that have been implemented to alleviate the suffering of individuals with hearing and speech impairments; Dr. Maya Morsi, the Minister of Social Solidarity, introduced the idea of training ministry employees who receive complaints in sign language to effectively engage with them and facilitate the handling of their complaints. The presenter called for the experience to be generalised in other government locations that deal with the public to receive their complaints, as individuals with hearing and speech impairments have faced real challenges in communication and expressing their complaints.

At the same time, an experience was presented for applying via the WhatsApp service to obtain "Karama" support for individuals with visual impairments, demonstrating a fast and effective way of handling it.

After that, the Prime Minister proceeded to the celebration hall to participate in the events, which began with a short video showcasing the achievements of the "Takaful and Karama" programme over the past years.

At the conclusion of her speech, the Minister of Social Solidarity presented a commemorative gift, a plaque bearing the logo of the "Takaful and Karama" initiative, to Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, the Prime Minister, in appreciation of his significant role in supporting the programme's steps and gratitude for his continuous support to the Ministry of Social Solidarity in completing the programme's success and expanding its services for the benefit of its citizens.

Following that, several speeches were delivered by ambassadors and ministers, starting with a speech from Mr. "Stefan Jimbert", the World Bank Regional Director for Egypt, followed by remarks from Ambassador "Gareth Bailey", the UK Ambassador to Egypt, then Ms. "Elena Panova", the UN Resident Coordinator in Egypt, followed by a speech from Mr. Ahmed Kouchak, the Minister of Finance, and then Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, the Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, also addressed the attendees during the event. Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Deputy Prime Minister for Human Development, Minister of Health and Population, also delivered a speech during the event.

Prime Minister Dr. Mostafa Madbouly delivered a speech during the celebration marking the 10th Anniversary of "Takaful and Karama" Program

At the beginning of his speech, 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, asserting: “ You were the foundation in building this historic programme…and you were the cornerstone of this ongoing success."

Following that, the Prime Minister honoured several partners in the success of the "Takaful and Karama" programme from representatives of the relevant authorities, several academics, representatives of some international bodies, and representatives of UN programmes in Egypt. Dr. Mostafa Madbouly also honoured several members of parliament, as well as the head of the Social Solidarity Committee in the House of Representatives.

The Prime Minister also honoured several former ministers, in addition to recognising some ministers from the current government, and there was a special recognition for Engineer Ibrahim Mahlab, the former Prime Minister, for his efforts in ensuring the success of this programme and providing the necessary support for it.

The Prime Minister expressed his gratitude to all the honourees for their efforts in their various positions, affirming that the government is determined to continue advancing social protection programmes, as well as the level of services provided to citizens.